"European NHRIs raise concerns in relation to the EU’s Omnibus proposal," 27 January 2025

Recently, EU President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Commission would develop an Omnibus proposal revisiting certain aspects of recent regulations that were aimed at encouraging responsible business conduct. In an open letter, ten NHRIs raised concerns that the proposal could jeopardize the momentum around corporate sustainability in the EU...

In an open letter to the European Commission, the Danish Institute for Human Rights, together with nine sister organizations from across Europe, recognizes the need to enhance policy coherence, consistency, and clarity in sustainability-related legal requirements for companies. However, they stress that the announcement of the Omnibus proposal has created uncertainty for a broad range of stakeholders:

“We are concerned that this process could jeopardize the broader contents of these laws, the momentum around corporate sustainability and sustainable finance in the EU, and unintentionally disadvantage companies that have already invested significantly in anticipation of legal requirements,” the letter states...

“The EU’s policy and regulatory actions to address pressing sustainability issues are a long-awaited response to the legitimate expectations of rightsholders and other stakeholders for enhanced respect for human rights and the environment in business activities. These actions reflect the results of public consultations with all stakeholders.”

These laws are already an agreed political compromise that has passed through the legal process in the EU. Most EU Member States have already transposed the requirements of the CSRD into their national laws, and processes for the transposition of the CSDDD are ongoing. Meanwhile, companies subject to the CSRD have already invested considerable resources into meeting the new reporting requirements.

“We call for the integrity of the instruments to be respected and for the European Commission to focus its efforts on facilitating effective implementation. Priority should now be given to developing guidance and other accompanying measures and guidelines by the European Commission,” the signatories write, calling for NHRIs to be actively consulted in this process.