EU Ombudsman Probes Commission's Fast-Tracked Green Deregulation Proposals

The European Commission is considering simplifying EU environmental regulations through an 'omnibus' package aimed at reducing corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements, particularly easing rules under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). However, this initiative has drawn sharp criticism from the EU Ombudsman, Teresa Anjinho, who has formally requested explanations from the Commission for bypassing standard procedures such as public consultations, impact assessments, and climate consistency evaluations, raising concerns about transparency and accountability. The Ombudsman highlighted that the Commission fast-tracked these changes without adequate justification or internal deliberation, reducing the number of companies required to disclose environmental and social risks by up to 75%. This has sparked fears among green groups and governance experts that the EU's climate commitments may be undermined amid efforts to reduce regulatory burdens on businesses. The Commission has defended the accelerated timeline as necessary to provide legal certainty to companies and member states under the sustainability framework. Meanwhile, the EU also urged Ireland, Latvia, and Portugal to expedite permitting for renewable energy projects to comply with updated directives, signaling ongoing efforts to advance green infrastructure despite regulatory simplification debates.