“𝐁𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐫, 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫”

At the EP’s plenary session this morning, MEPs discussed the European Commission’s Annual Work Programme for 2025, following yesterday’s publication.

Subtitled “𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐫, 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧”, this year’s Programme focuses on 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. Key elements include a range of Omnibus proposals and initiatives with a simplification dimension, e.g.:

• 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐦𝐧𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Already controversial and highly debated, the Omnibus will tackle CSRD, CSDDD, and Taxonomy in Q1 2025.
• 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐦𝐧𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Scheduled for Q1 2025.
• 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐎𝐦𝐧𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞: Includes measures for small mid-caps and the removal of paper requirements, set for Q2 2025.

The Programme is accompanied by a separate 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. This document elaborates on inter alia the Omnibus packages and simplification measures, inviting the European Parliament and the Council to 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭-𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 these files to “provide maximum and swift clarity and relief to companies.”

The Communication also gives a few sneak peaks of what we can expect from these simplification measures. For example, the Omnibus package on sustainability will “notably 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞-𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 to prevent smaller companies along the supply chains from being subjected in practice to excessive reporting requests that were never intended by the legislators.” To be seen how this will be translated into the actual text of the package…

The First Omnibus package on sustainability is scheduled for discussion at the Commission meeting on 26 February. Stay tuned to our page for updates as we learn more!

For more information and all relevant documentation, see: https://lnkd.in/eK2s56sg

#ESG #Sustainability #CSRD #CSDDD #Omnibus #CorporateResponsibility #contrastupdate