On 8 November 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced she would introduce a proposal to amend three key pillars of the European Green Deal through an Omnibus law: the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the Taxonomy Regulation.
As members of civil society, human rights and environmental defenders, trade unions and climate activists, we call on the European Commission to actively protect these EU corporate accountability laws, reaffirm the official timeline for their transposition and implementation, and be fully transparent about the Omnibus process.
The EU must lead in protecting human rights and environmental standards while ensuring corporate accountability. Despite record profits, major companies aren’t investing enough in sustainability, and their supply chains impact global standards. The proposed Omnibus law threatens to weaken Green Deal protections, creating uncertainty and rewarding non-compliance. Reducing standards would damage European manufacturing and increase exploitation.
While many countries outside the EU are strengthening their human rights laws, the EU must uphold its founding values by maintaining high standards and clear implementation guidelines. As previously recognized, EU competitiveness relies on stable environmental regulations that meet consumer demands for sustainability.
The EU’s founding values of democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights must be upheld. Rather than reversing Green Deal progress, the EU should promote higher standards while ensuring clear guidelines for implementation. The previous Commission correctly identified that EU competitiveness depends on maintaining stable environmental regulations that meet growing consumer demand for sustainability.
We therefore urge the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to:
- Uphold EU corporate accountability legislation including the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the Taxonomy Regulation.
- Adhere to the current timeline for the transposition and implementation of these essential laws, and provide timely and clear guidelines for compliance.
- As a matter of urgency, clarify the Commission’s intentions and be fully transparent about the rationale, scope, timeline, legislative process, impact assessment as well as the consultation period related to the proposed omnibus
