Merz, Macron, Meloni urge new EU drive to cut red tape

France's President Emmanuel Macron greets Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis look on while attending the informal meeting of European Union leaders in Copenhagen, Denmark, October 1, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The leaders of 19 European Union countries have urged the bloc to launch a new drive to "review, reduce and restrain" legislation to make the EU more economically competitive, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

The letter to Antonio Costa, president of the European Council of EU leaders, was signed by leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

"We want to preserve the European Union for what it stands for – freedom, security and prosperity. To do this, we must change its course. Not just a little but substantially," said the letter, sent ahead of an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday.

(Reporting by Andrew Gray, Editing by Dominique Vidalon)