The EU is sometimes criticised for being unable to respond quickly.
The recent Omnibus simplification proposal on certain corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements shows that proposals can be drafted, tabled and adopted in 90 days/3 months.
Those less experienced with how flexible the EU system can be cast doubt such targeted measures could be passed, unchanged, so fast. That is likely the by-product of youthfulness. Whilst the EU does not respond as fast as those regimes with no genuine oversight of the Executive, the EU machinery, creaky at times, has a commendable track record of dexterity when the moment calls.
It may have even been faster but for the histrionics of some MEPs.
90 Days to Change: Case Study on the revision of corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence requirement
11.02.2025: 2025 Work Programme
(link).
20.03.2025: European Council
Conclusions support proposal.
18.03.2025: Legal Affairs Committee appoint Rapporteur and Shadows.
1.04.2025: EP Urgency Procedure request vote, 427 for, 221 against, 14 abstain (
link).
03.04.2025: EP vote in favour of Commission’s proposal.Votes 539 for, 69 against, abstentions 17
(link). All the amendments tabled were rejected.
09.04.2025:
Coreper II approve EP’s first reading position (item 32).
14.04.2025: Foreign Affairs Council
agree to proposal as A-Point (without discussion) (
voting results link; for 27; against 0).
14.04.2025: Signing ceremony Presidents of the EP and Council.
16.04.2025:
DIRECTIVE (EU) 2025/794 amending Directives (EU) 2022/2464 and (EU) 2024/1760 as regards the dates from which Member States are to apply certain corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements published in Official Journal.
17.04.2025: Entry into Force.
31.12.2025: Transposal deadline into national law.
As an aside, it is interesting to see the Commission stressing the consultations and evidence they gathered from that exercise to support the changes. See extract from the proposal.
European Commission ‘Call for evidence on the rationalisation of reporting
requirements’, from October to December 2023.
– European Commission meetings with companies and other stakeholders in early
February 2025.
– The European Commission has also held separate stakeholder activities including
two large hybrid stakeholder forums on the CSRD in May and November 2024 with
the participation of approximately 400 people in person and more than 3000 people
virtually.
– The European Commission received a very significant number of letters and detailed
analyses from all types of stakeholders (from companies to investors, banks, civil
society, Non-Governmental Organisations, chambers of commerce and Member
States’ national administrations).