The ETUC is calling on Members of the European Parliament to vote down the Omnibus I proposal in plenary next week.
The proposal by Rapporteur Mr Warbon (EPP) dismantles key protections in the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) and threatens workers’ rights across supply chains.
Recent research even shows the economic backlash that the proposal, set to be voted on in the European Parliament’s plenary next week, would create: the cost of implementing the CS3D for companies is estimated at just 0.009% of EU GDP, while the potential macroeconomic benefit from improved sustainability, reduced risk, and increased transparency could reach up to 0.8% of EU GDP.
Trade unions, civil society and sustainable businesses have warned against weakening the CS3D. Yet their voices have been ignored.
Isabelle Schömann, ETUC Deputy General Secretary:
“The Commission unilaterally tabled changes that weaken core elements of corporate accountability directive, democratically adopted in 2024. The text tabled by Rapporteur Warbon further empties the text of its substance compared to the CS3D.
“Compromises that would have provided the necessary guarantees for workers, citizens and the planet have been ignored.
“This is not simplification, it is deregulation. The directive, adopted in 2024, was a landmark for corporate accountability and labour protections.
“Omnibus I rolls back that progress and aligns with a political agenda that prioritises corporate impunity over human rights and common sense. It strips away protections for workers and undermines the EU’s social and climate agenda.
“We urge all pro-European forces to stand firm and reject Omnibus I in plenary next week.”
