The European Ombudswoman raises concerns over rollback of EU sustainability rules

The European Ombudswoman raises concerns over rollback of EU sustainability rules

Published November 28, 2025

The European Ombudswoman, Teresa Anjinho, has found maladministration by the European Commission in its recent move to scale back key EU sustainability and human rights rules for businesses.

In a report issued following complaints lodged by environmental organisations, the Ombudswoman concluded that the Commission acted too hastily and without sufficient transparency when proposing amendments to recently adopted green legislation. She highlighted a failure to carry out a broad and balanced consultation, noting that stakeholder meetings were dominated by industry representatives, with civil society and other relevant interests potentially excluded.

The report also raised concern that the environmental impacts of the proposed changes were not properly assessed and that the urgency used to justify the initiative was not adequately explained. Internal consultations within the Commission were criticised for being compressed into an extremely short timeframe, limiting the ability of its own services to provide meaningful input.

The findings relate to proposed changes to major sustainability laws, including the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which requires large companies to address adverse human rights and environmental impacts across their supply chains. These rules form part of the EU’s broader framework to promote responsible business conduct, environmental protection and respect for fundamental rights.

The Ombudswoman’s intervention underlines the importance of good administration at EU level, particularly when revising legislation with far-reaching implications for human rights, environmental protection and public trust. It also reinforces the role of ombudsman institutions in scrutinising decision making processes to ensure they remain fair, transparent and balanced, even when economic or competitiveness pressures intensify.