A coalition of eight non-governmental organisations has lodged a formal complaint with the European Ombudsman, criticising the European Commission for what they describe as an “undemocratic, untransparent and rushed” process in drafting the Omnibus proposal—a move that could significantly weaken several cornerstone EU sustainability laws.
The complaint, filed by ClientEarth, Anti-Slavery International, Clean Clothes Campaign, the European Coalition for Corporate Justice, Friends of the Earth Europe, Global Witness, Notre Affaire À Tous and Transport & Environment (T&E), raises serious concerns about the Commission’s handling of proposed changes to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and the EU Taxonomy Regulation.
The NGOs claim the legislative process was influenced heavily by corporate lobbying, particularly from oil and gas interests, and lacked the necessary public consultation, evidence gathering, and impact assessments. They argue the proposal could undermine not only environmental and human rights protections but also the EU’s own democratic and climate goals.
In a joint statement, the coalition said: “We are contesting the Commission’s rushed dismantling of three key pillars of the Green Deal – including laws meant to improve the environmental and human impacts of global trade – a process that completely disregards people and nature’s rights.”
The groups allege the Commission failed to conduct adequate assessments of the social and environmental consequences of revising the directives and did not evaluate the compatibility of the changes with the EU’s climate neutrality objectives, potentially breaching the European Climate Law.
The NGOs also highlight that the development of the Omnibus proposal took place without public consultation and favoured closed-door meetings with select industry groups. Some details of these meetings were only made public through media leaks, the complaint notes.
The coalition warns that the proposed weakening of sustainability regulations could also backfire economically: “Strong sustainability laws like the CSDDD and CSRD are key to the EU’s competitive advantage in a global market where consumers and investors increasingly demand responsible corporate action.”
Labelled a “simplification” by the Commission, the Omnibus proposal is being challenged by campaigners who insist it does little to enhance competitiveness and instead undermines environmental protections, corporate accountability, and public trust in EU institutions.
The coalition is urging the European Parliament and Council to reject the proposal outright.
