Members of the European Parliament voted against a proposal aimed at relaxing regulations that mandate companies to closely monitor misconduct within their supply chains and to report their environmental and climate impacts, with a tally of 319 votes against and 309 in favor (34 abstentions). This marks the first of several proposals introduced by the European Commission this year to reduce the administrative burdens on businesses.
Rapporteur Jorgen Warborn from the European People’s Party (EPP) had put forth a compromise with the Social Democrats (S&D) and the liberal Renew within the last two weeks, but this compromise failed during a secret ballot in the plenary session. Opposition from both the far-right and far-left arose for different reasons, alongside pushback from certain Social Democrats, including members from the Belgian delegation. Kathleen Van Brempt and Bruno Tobback (Vooruit) described the move as “deregulation at the expense of the most vulnerable and least protected workers in our society.”
Kris van Dijck (N-VA), a member of the conservative and nationalist ECR group, also supported the rejection, arguing that the obligations placed on companies were overly demanding. “Our businesses are struggling under the weight of European overregulation, and significant changes are urgently needed,” he stated.
On the EPP side, Wouter Beke (CD&V) expressed disappointment with the outcome. “Unfortunately, extremes lead to stagnation: one side feels it goes too far, the other feels it doesn’t go far enough. Meanwhile, citizens and companies are waiting for the much-needed simplification of this complex and extensive European legislation,” he noted.
This rejection necessitates a vote on a revised text next month, causing frustration among member states that have been prepared for negotiations for months and prioritized the simplification of European regulations. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is among those who have voiced their concerns.
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