Work on simplifications in reporting for companies at the last straight

The European Parliament will address the simplification of sustainability reporting requirements at the November session. This is part of the Omnibus I package presented by the European Commission in February this year. According to Tomasz Bocheński, the changes proposed by the EC are cosmetic and will not bring real simplifications, which is why this needs to be addressed during the plenary session, not just in the parliamentary committees.

– We have 2 directives that have been adopted under the Green Deal package in the erstwhile word and they impose on entrepreneurs a very large number of mandatory bureaucratic reports, which means, for example, that Polish companies are to study on the European Commission's climate targets, possible climate risks which they do not know but may happen, are to study on the climate situation and implementation of Green Deal – says Newseria Tobias Bocheński, associate of the European Parliament for Law and Justice. – Now it was to be changed and Ursula von der Leyen proposed Omnibus I, but these changes are cosmetic.

The package of deregulation called Omnibus I was notified in February by the European Commission. It includes, among another things, simplification of sustainability reporting (CSRD) and due diligence (CSDD). 1 of the proposals, the stop-the-clock, which postpones the time limits of the duties, was already adopted and published in April, and in July the law implementing the directive to the Polish legal order was published in the diary of Laws and entered into force 14 days after the date of publication. The second draft includes substantive changes to simplify the requirements for companies. On 23 June 2025, associate States reached an agreement on the basis of the compromise text presented by the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU. The paper will constitute the mandate of the EU Council to negociate with the European Parliament in order to scope agreement on this proposal.

The European Commission originally proposed to reduce the number of companies required to study on social and environmental issues by 80%, while Members of the European Parliament want to reduce this scope even further, so that only companies with an average of over 1,000 employees and yearly net turnover of more than €450 million. In the case of companies that are no longer covered by the legislation, reporting will be voluntary. In order to prevent large companies from shifting reporting obligations to smaller business partners, they will not be able to request information beyond voluntary standards. specified amendments were adopted by the EP Legal Committee by 17 votes, six votes against and 2 abstentions.

– During the negotiations, we fought to remove as many of these duties as possible. Unfortunately, it has late emerged that the European People's Party, in which the Platform is located, the S&D Party, where the Left is, and the Liberals, where the Holovnia is, have agreed on compromises that are very insignificant, and want to avoid sitting with us in the plenary area and quietly push this task consecutive into further work so that MEPs cannot submit amendments - According to Tobias Bocheński, associate of the EP Legal Committee.

The European Parliament is to decide on its position on simplified requirements for sustainable improvement and due diligence at the Brussels plenary session scheduled for 13 November. This decision follows the rejection by Members of the mandate adopted by the Committee on Legal Affairs. The vote of 22 October ended with 318 votes against, 309 votes against and 34 abstentions.

According to the ECR, the fresh proposals do not offer real simplification, but only reorganise the existing bureaucracy. Tobias Bocheński argues that abandoning parliamentary control in the work on the rules would mean approving further administrative burdens on businesses, while simplification should bring them real relief and, consequently, increase the competitiveness of the European economy.

– If there are no specified obligations anywhere in the world, and they cost money due to the fact that you gotta prepare reports, you gotta hire all the legal personnel to do so, it's on the company. And our competitiveness, compared to Chinese, Japanese, Australian, American companies, will fall – emphasises the Euro MP of the Law and Justice.

Mr Dariusz Joński of the civilian Coalition recognises the request to keep the balance between the essential protection of the environment and the freedom to conduct business and to make entrepreneurship. At the same time, it argues to the thought of introducing European products, which would have adequate force to compete with China or India. Single European countries will not be able to meet specified competition.

– No another continent cares so much about protecting the environment as in Europe, but it needs to be balanced so that, on the 1 hand, environmental protection, including rivers, seas, is preserved and, on the another hand, the economy is not hampered - This is Dariusz Joński. – It is not easy to keep this balance, but in the day of what the Chinese are doing in flooding their goods, the proposal was made to enter with the European product "made in Europe". This is simply a very good slogan and a very good programme for us to yet produce as Europe, due to the fact that with China or India it is hard for 1 EU country to compete, but it is absolutely possible for the full EU.

Ursula von der Leyen at her last session in Strasbourg announced the introduction of the "made in Europe" criterion in public procurement in certain strategical sectors to make a unchangeable request for products produced in Europe.