Melike Pala
26 October 2026•Update: 26 October 2026
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence to modernize the EU executive's administration, improve working methods, and make services less burdensome for businesses and citizens.
Speaking at a news conference in Brussels alongside European Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration Piotr Serafin and Catherine Day, chair of the High-Level Group on the Future of the Commission's Civil Service, von der Leyen said technological advances offer new opportunities to improve administrative processes and make the EU more efficient.
"Artificial intelligence offers new ways to work, new ways to improve processes, and find less burdensome ways to make the European Union work for business and citizens," she said.
She stressed that the commission must equip its staff with the necessary skills and tools to make the best use of AI, while also investing in talent development, simplifying services and making better use of technology.
"We must give our colleagues the skills and tools to best use it, and we must develop talent, simplify services, and make better use of technologies," von der Leyen said.
Stressing the need for the commission to act "effectively and quickly," she said simplifying procedures, clarifying structures, and improving cooperation across departments would allow staff to focus their efforts on areas where they could make the greatest difference.
She identified making "every euro count" as the commission's second priority, emphasizing the need to ensure that public spending delivers added value and tangible results, particularly as Europeans continue to face cost-of-living pressures.
"Our ambition remains clear: to deliver the best possible public service for our European citizens," she said.
