BRUSSELS–The European Union announced a plan to write more sensible regulations, in an effort to neutralize EU critics who say bureaucrats in Brussels have a penchant for drafting absurd rules.

Some proposals by the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, have made the institution an easy target for euroskeptics: In 2013, the commission attempted to ban hairdressers from wearing high heels and restaurants from serving olive oil in open jugs. Those proposals drew ridicule from across the EU at a time of rising mistrust of Brussels from around the bloc.

Now, the commission wants to be more transparent about how it drafts laws and regulations.

“Euroskeptics don’t annoy me when they’re wrong, they annoy me when they’re right,” commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said at a press conference Tuesday. Mr. Timmermans, who is in charge of “better regulation,” is also the likely counterpart of Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne in the upcoming negotiations with the U.K. ahead of a planned referendum on Britain’s membership in the bloc.

The measures envisioned by Mr. Timmermans include more impact assessments on draft legislation as well as a new agreement on transparency and scrutiny with the two other institutions involved in EU lawmaking: The European Parliament and the council of ministers. The commission hopes to finalize this agreement by the end of the year.

A new “regulatory scrutiny board” comprised of six members — three from the commission and three from the trade unions, non-governmental organizations and other specialized groups — will be chaired by an independent person. The board will “quickly review amendments so politicians can take a better and informed decision” of the effect a final deal will have.

More scrutiny will also be given to the commission’s direct powers to set rules and standards for laws already in force. Both the olive oil and the high heels rules were examples of measures the commission developed for existing legislation, but they never rang any alarm bells within the bureaucracy. The rules were withdrawn only after public outrage.

BusinessEurope, the EU’s main industry lobbying group, welcomed the proposal as “essential to improving competitiveness,” but lawmakers from the Green group in the European Parliament said it would add “new layers of bureaucracy” that lack accountability.