The European Commission has presented a new proposal to roll back several existing EU environmental laws, including industrial emissions reporting obligations. This confirms previous information published by Politico. This is the latest in a series of so-called omnibus proposals aimed at deregulation, which are intended to fulfil Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's commitment to significantly reduce the administrative burden on businesses.
The aim of the proposal is to make it easier for companies to comply with EU rules on waste management, emissions and resource use. The Commission also emphasises the benefits for small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for 99 per cent of all businesses in the EU. It argues that the proposed changes will not have a negative impact on the environment.
„We agree that we must protect our environmental standards, but at the same time we must do so more efficiently.“ said the Commissioner for the Environment during a press conference. Jessika Roswall. Executive Vice-Chair Teresa Riberová she added that it is „Complex and demanding exercises“, which seek to reconcile the demand for simplification with the pressure to maintain high environmental standards.
Similar to previous omnibus packages, this one was also published without an impact assessment. The Commission stated that „without considering alternative options, an impact assessment is not necessary“ – despite the fact that the European Ombudsman recently criticised the Commission for its misconduct in connection with the first omnibus proposal.
Among other things, the proposal provides that livestock and aquaculture operators will be exempt from the obligation to report water, energy and material consumption. Member States, authorities and operators are also to be given more time to comply with certain provisions of the revised Industrial Emissions Directive. Significant simplification is also expected in environmental management systems, which would now be developed at company level rather than at individual plant level.
The Commission proposes to abolish the SCIP database, which it believes has not delivered the expected results and causes unnecessary administrative burdens. In addition, manufacturers will not have to appoint representatives in every country where they sell their goods, and extended producer responsibility obligations will be reduced to a single annual report.
The proposal does not affect the nature restoration regulation, but the Commission promises enhanced support in the preparation of national restoration plans and will review the Birds and Habitats Directives in 2026.
While some industry associations welcome the proposal, environmental organisations have sharply criticised the move as undermining long-established protections for nature and public health. WWF said the Commission was „dismantling decades of protection“ in the name of competitiveness, and lawyers from ClientEarth pointed out that the Industrial Emissions Directive had already been weakened in its latest revision. BirdLife warned that undermining key directives could expose European ecosystems and communities to further risks.
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