European travel buyers network BT4Europe has urged the European Commission to reduce administrative burdens and reform the "outdated" A1 certification requirements for short-term business travel.

The Brussels-based group said the current system, originally developed for long-term postings, is ¡°disproportionately complex and time-consuming¡± for business travellers, and has recommended an exemption for trips lasting 14 days or less.

¡°Driving across a border for a two-day conference should not require the same bureaucracy as a multi-month secondment,¡± said Odete Pimenta da Silva, BT4Europe treasurer and chair of its A1 working group. ¡°This inefficiency is a cost EU businesses and administrations can no longer afford.¡±

BT4Europe argued that these "outdated" administrative processes, intended to coordinate social security, are imposing "an unsustainable burden" on businesses.

According to the group, nearly 490,000 A1 applications were submitted in Germany in 2022 alone, resulting in more than 81,000 hours of company time and approximately 368,000 hours for government staff.

BT4Europe in a statement on Thursday (5 June) also referenced a recent VDR survey indicating that 98 per cent of cross-border business trips from Germany in 2024 lasted less than five days, ¡°illustrating the mismatch between trip duration and bureaucratic effort¡±, the group said.

In addition to advocating for an A1 exemption for trips of up to 14 days, BT4Europe is urging EU policymakers to digitise processes across all EU member states and to provide a clear definition of business travel activities. This definition should encompass meetings, site visits, internal or client audits, conferences and seminars, according to the group.

¡°A practical, proportionate and digital solution is within reach,¡± Pimenta da Silva added. ¡°Let¡¯s cut the red tape and let Europe¡¯s businesses get back to what they do best: driving growth, innovation and connection across borders.¡±