Austria’s chamber of commerce has called on the European Union executive to roll back a set of Green Deal regulations, while the insurance industry lobby also weighed in on the debate. The Corporate Sustainability and Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) was welcomed by unions and green groups last year but is now being scrutinized for its complexity.
Leading conservative politician Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, who is leading coalition talks in Austria, wrote to economy commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis that the CSDDD must be simplified or dismissed altogether. He cited a list of regulations including an incoming border tax, a ban on products linked to forced labor, and rules for packaging waste.
The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and Federation of Austrian Industries co-signed the letter, which also called for the review of EU investment areas deemed sustainable under EU law. Insurers have joined the chorus, demanding that reporting obligations under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive be reduced and simplified.
Large parts of the European business community are seizing on the opportunity to simplify regulations, with conservative lawmakers in the European Parliament arguing that excessive bureaucracy must be removed. However, green groups and unions are warning against deregulation, saying it would undermine the EU’s climate targets and Zero Pollution ambition.
The Commission plans to publish its flagship Clean Industrial Deal and an action plan to reduce energy costs as part of its efforts to enhance competitiveness on the global stage.
Source: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/02/12/nato-allies-need-to-spend-considerably-more-to-deter-a-russian-attack-in-coming-years-rutt