The transparency and impact of the preparatory process for the European Commission’s Omnibus Sustainability package on the EU’s sustainability goals and businesses
25.2.2025
Question for written answer E-000842/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Li Andersson (The Left)
According to the latest information, the European Commission will be publishing its Omnibus Sustainability package this week. It contains amendments to key acts in EU legislation, such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and the Directive on corporate sustainability reporting (CSRD). Leaked information suggests that the Commission is proposing measures that would significantly undermine companies’ duty of diligence, such as opportunities for victims to seek justice, fines for those who break the law and the implementation of climate requirements. Furthermore, it is proposed that the requirements concerning reporting be limited to the biggest companies only, meaning that a large number of companies would not need to report on sustainability. This would compromise the EU’s sustainability goals and would result in legal uncertainty, both for companies and the Member States, which have begun to implement the current legislation.
It is worth noting that, when the Omnibus project was being prepared, no proper assessment was undertaken of its impact and there was no public consultation on it. There were serious flaws in evidence in the selection of those to attend the ‘Reality Check and Roundtable’ organised by the Commission in February: participating in the talks were mainly representatives of large companies, including companies that are currently the subject of legal proceedings for human rights violations and environmental offences, while the voices of civil society, trade unions and responsible companies virtually went unheard. This is a breach of the Commission’s own principle of ‘better regulation’ and jeopardises the EU’s principles of the rule of law and democracy.
- 1.How can the Commission justify the preparation of the Omnibus project in the absence of any adequate assessment of its impact or any public consultation, especially given the fact that the changes may seriously undermine the EU’s sustainability goals?
- 2.Does the Commission think that the preparatory process for the Omnibus package was transparent, democratic and in line with the Commission’s own principle of ‘better regulation’?
- 3.How will the Commission respond to those companies that have already invested substantially in implementing the current sustainability requirements?
Supporters[1]
Submitted: 25.2.2025
- [1] This question is supported by Members other than the author: Jussi Saramo (The Left), Merja Kyllönen (The Left)