Joint statement on omnibus
Omnibus proposal will create costly
confusion and lower protection for
people and the planet
January 14 2025, Brusssels
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 European Union must show leadership in the protection of human rights, environment and climate, and
prevent further setbacks to corporate accountability.
The ongoing backlash against the EU’s sustainability
framework comes at a time when business accountability is critically needed.
Whilst some of the
world’s biggest companies distributed
record dividends in 2023,
their investments fall far short of what is
needed to transition to sustainable and resilient business models. Around the world, European companies,
through their complex supply chains, continue to impact on a range of human rights and fundamental
freedoms including labour rights, freedom from forced labour and the right to a clean, healthy and safe
environment.
Yet despite clear calls from
Climate Commissioner Hoekstra
and
Executive Vice-President Ribera
to protect
the legacy of the European Green Deal – and a commitment from
Justice Commissioner McGrath
“to
ensure a timely and effective implementation” of the CSDDD during his confirmation hearing – President
Ursula von der Leyen runs the risk of undermining key protections by forcing a re-opening of the files with
the Omnibus law.
This is generating tremendous uncertainty for countries that have already started
their transposition process, and it will reward companies who failed to prepare to comply with these
legislations.
A race to the bottom in value chain standards will risk increasing pressure on European manufacturing. It
will also lead to more exploitation of people and environmental harm across countries. Businesses should
be held accountable for their responsibility to respect human rights across their operations and supply
chains.