Simplification and Policy Coherence – How to Reap the Benefits of the Omnibus

The goals of the European Green Deal are currently facing the risk of dilution under the EU’s new competitiveness and simplification agenda.

Read the policy brief here: link

The president of the European Commission recently announced a so-called Omnibus Simplification Package, expected for February 2025 and aimed at streamlining the reporting requirements of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the EU Taxonomy Regulation and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). While simplification and more coherence of EU legislation is extremely important, it should not come at the expense of Europe’s global sustainability
leadership.

This policy brief argues that simplification and policy coherence can coexist without compromising environmental and social standards. An Omnibus Simplification Package should be used as an opportunity to transform the EU’s legislative framework into an enabling toolbox for businesses transitioning toward competitive sustainability. It offers evidence-based recommendations to support EU policymakers in leveraging the proposed Omnibus Simplification Package as a tool for impactful and streamlined sustainability measures. By developing, for example, one set of unified sector guidelines to align disclosure and due diligence requirements with consistent implementation timelines, the EU would enhance these measures’ usability and effectiveness.