EU Commission « Ignorate both the facts and science »

Eight NGOs (non-governmental organizations), including the Luxembourg NGO « Initiative Pour un Devoir de Vigilance », a member of the « European Coalition for Corporate Justice » (ECCJ), submitted a formal complaint against the EU Commission on Friday. The complaint of the NGOs is directed against the omnibus proposal by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the planned changes, among other things, in the EU Lief chain law.

The Omnibus package presented on February 26 in Brussels aims to make three EU laws more company-friendly in a first step by simplifying or exposing certain regulations. These three laws also include the EU Lief chain Act. The EU Commission and the vast majority of governments in the 27 EU countries hope that it will be stimulated on the continent. Critics, on the other hand, fear a deregulative wave.

NGOs criticize omnibus proposal

In the ECCJ press release, the NGOs criticize that the bus proposal « without any public consultation, with the exclusion of civil society, without evidence or environmental and social affair tests and with the focus on narrow-minded industrial interests ». They also comment on the process that led to the Omnibus proposal and that the changes to the Lief chain law « dominated by a small group of industrial representatives » and were decided behind closed doors.

« This so -called simplification does not contribute to improving competitiveness; the European Commission ignores both the facts and science, » said ECCJ’s press release.

Since the Leyen presented the Omnibus plan, on February 26, NGOs and civil society have criticized the problems of the proposed plan. The supply chain law, which is to be replaced by the omnibus plan, would be watered down and threaten the vigilance of companies towards human rights in their supply chains, according to the NGOs.