Dan Jorgensen told online publication Contexte his team was working on a simplification package to bring permit wait times for solar, wind and other green energy sources to under six months.

"Today, it's seven or 10 years, or even more than a decade, often. That's totally unacceptable and it needs to fundamentally change," he said.

"If that is to happen, we need to streamline some legislation and do things differently from today."

Permits are normally handed out by member states, but construction needs to align with different EU rules such as environmental-protection laws.

"I'm aware this can be seen as controversial since many of the rules that are leading to these long times have to do with nature conservation," Jorgensen said of his plan.

But at the same time, current laws were "slowing down the process so much" that they risked endangering Europe's green transition, he added.

"And if we don't manage to fight climate change, that will hurt nature much, much more," Jorgensen, a Dane, said.

His words come as Brussels has embarked on a broader drive to slash rules seen as hindering businesses, which has angered environmental groups.

Concerns about sluggish economic growth have shifted the bloc's focus to competitiveness and away from the climate change push of recent years.