Latest news with #EuropeanParliament
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
EU Employment Committee Draft Opinion Opposes Reductions In Sustainability Reporting
JUNE 26: People walk by an European flag (Photo by) The future of sustainability reporting in the European Union is in peril as legislators debate the Omnibus Simplification Package. The current proposal includes significant changes to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directives. As the legislative process unfolds in the Parliament, members are submitting proposed amendments through various committees. In the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, a draft opinion expresses clear opposition to any reductions to the CSRD or the CSDDD. From 2020 - 2024, a trilogy of directives were passed by the EU to force businesses to address climate change and report greenhouse gas missions. The Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities created a classification system for business and investors to know what activities are considered green or climate friendly. The CSRD created requirements for businesses to report GHG emissions and other environmental, social, and governance actions. The CSDDD, also known as the CS3D, created legal liability for companies in relation to their supply chain. While the gains excited activists, the cost of these proposals on businesses and the broader impact on the EU economy became a theme during the 2024 European Parliament elections. The shift to the right in EU politics embolden opponents to the European Green Deal directives. As a result, the Commission proposed a package of new directives to 'reduce the burden' on businesses. The Omnibus Simplification Package was officially adopted by the Commission in February. The proposal is being debated in the Council and the Parliament. In the Parliament, the debate is public and working through multiple committees, giving interest parties and MEPs the opportunity to voice their opinions. The Committee on Legal Affairs, known as JURI, is the primary committee that will produce the legislation that will be sent to the full Parliament for a vote. However, related committees will draft opinions to be considered during the process. Each committee designates a rapporteur to lead the drafting. The Parliament states that a 'rapporteur is appointed in the responsible parliamentary committee to draft a report on proposals of a legislative or budgetary nature, or other issues. In drafting their report, rapporteurs may consult with relevant experts and stakeholders. They are also responsible for the drafting of compromise amendments and negotiations with shadow rapporteurs.' The amendments change the Commission's language in the Omnibus Simplification Package, not the original CSRD and CSDDD. Rather than offering sweeping amendments that encompass every change a MEP or Party wants to see, every change to every subparagraph is offered in a separate amendment. This results in a high volume of amendments. The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, known as ECON, and the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, known as ENVI, posted 987 amendments proposed by their respective members. In the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, known as EMPL, the committee chose to post a draft opinion by the rapporteur before posting amendments by members. Committee members have until June 3 to offer amendments before the June 4 vote. European Parliament The draft opinion was submitted by MEP Li Andersson of The Left, rapporteur for the opinion. The draft included language that directly criticizes the Commission and objects to changes. While the opinion is may not be adopted as the final committee draft, and will likely have minimal impact on the final vote, the language will certainly excite activists and like minded MEPs. In the 'short justification' included in opinions to provide context for canges, Andersson made her opposition to the changes clear. "The current Commission proposal risks watering down the core elements of this newly established sustainability reporting and due diligence framework. Although the aim of simplification in terms of reporting duties for companies is laudable… simplification cannot mean broad sweeping deregulation that changes the entire purposes of the previous directives. Dismantling core parts of the legislation risks not only creating regulatory uncertainty for companies, barring proper access to justice for those harmed, but also hampers the availability of quality, comparable and granular sustainability data that is much called for by investors and business partners alike…" Of the MEP's 49 proposed amendments, 40 simply delete language proposed the Omnibus Simplification Package, leaving the existing language in original directives intact. This includes the employee thresholds for companies to fall under reporting requirements. Three proposed amendments include language that is worth highlighting. The first proposed amendment addresses the first paragraph of the Omnibus in which the Commission states their reason for the changes. The Commission references 'A simpler and faster Europe: Communication on implementation and simplification' sent on February 11 in which they outline their vision. Andersson, and many like minded individuals, took issue with the process used and the need for action. Original language as proposed by the Commission: '… the European Commission set out a vision for an implementation and simplification agenda that delivers fast and visible improvements for people and business on the ground. This requires more than an incremental approach and the Union must take bold action to achieve this goal…' Andersson's Proposed Amendment: "…the European Commission set out a vision for an implementation and simplification agenda, which is leading to unpredictability and legal uncertainty by rolling back on legal obligations recently adopted at Union level under the guise of reducing administrative burden. The consequences of such an agenda will have rippling effects, with increasing political risks particularly for first movers. In order to safeguard the ambition of the current legal acquis, it is important to oppose such measures." The second proposed amendment addresses the second paragraph in which the Commission states their goals. Andersson not only takes issue with, what some perceive as, an overbearing approach by the Commission, but also addresses concerns relating to the process used. Those concerns have resulted in an investigation by the European Ombudsman, although they are unlikely to impact the final result. Original language as proposed by the Commission: "In the context of the Commission's commitment to reduce reporting burdens and enhance competitiveness, it is necessary to amend Directives 2006/43/EC3 , 2013/34/EU4 , (EU) 2022/24645 and (EU) 2024/1760 of the European Parliament and of the Council, whilst maintaining the policy objectives of the European Green Deal, and the Sustainable Finance Action Plan." Andersson's Proposed Amendment: 'In the context of the Commission's commitment to reduce reporting burdens and enhance competitiveness, the Comission (sic) has declared that it is necessary to amend Directives 2006/43/EC3 , 2013/34/EU4 , (EU) 2022/24645 and (EU) 2024/1760 of the, without conducting any impact assessment and limiting public consultation to a closed-door stakeholder event.' A major theme in the push for simplification is the impact sustainability reporting could have on small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition to the high cost on businesses that are required to comply with sustainability reporting requirements, businesses interests also expressed concerns that the costs will adversely impact SMEs that are not required to report, but are indirectly forced to gather information in the course of doing business with large companies. The Commission has made it clear they want to prevent SMEs from being forced to pay to gather data beyond minimum requirements. Original language as proposed by the Commission: "Member States shall ensure that, for the mapping provided for in paragraph 2, point (a), companies do not seek to obtain information from direct business partners with fewer than 500 employees that exceeds the information specified in the standards for voluntary use referred to in Article 29a of Directive 2013/34/EU…" Andersson's Proposed Amendment: 'Where necessary in the light of resource and knowledge constraints of an SME that is a business partner of a company, Member States shall ensure that companies provide targeted and proportionate support. Support may include financial support, providing or enabling access to capacity building or training, or support in upgrading management systems or facilitating the upgrading of such systems in order to support the identification of adverse impacts.' The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs has placed the draft opinion on the June 4 meeting agenda. Committee members have until June 3 to offer their own amendments. Given the amendments proposed in other committees, expect conflicting opinions to be stated. The draft opinion will be sent to the Committee on Legal Affairs for consideration. The final vote in the Parliament is expected to take place on October 13. The Commission, Council, and Parliament will then meet to negotiate the final changes to the sustainability reporting requirements. They are expected to be approved in December.
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Key Dates To Watch In EU Debate On Sustainability Reporting
European Union flags in front of the blurred European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium The requirements for sustainability reporting in the European Union are on the verge of being reduced as legislators consider sweeping changes to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. The Commission proposed reforms in the Omnibus Simplification Package. Now, those proposals are being debated in the Parliament and Council in anticipation of final approval by the end of 2025. However, with so many moving parts, it is difficult to keep track of when important votes may happen. Reforms to the CSDDD, also known as the CS3D, and the CSRD were proposed by the Commission in February, then sent to the Council and the Parliament for approval. The Council's deliberations are mostly behind closed doors. In the Parliament, the debate is public and working through multiple committees, giving interest parties and MEPs the opportunity to voice their opinions. The Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs, known as JURI, is the primary committee that will produce the legislation that will be sent to the full Parliament for a vote. However, related committees will draft opinions to be considered during the process. Both the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, known as ECON, and the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, known as ENVI, posted amendments proposed by their respective members. ECON received 514 proposed amendments while ENVI received 473. Other committees that will be drafting opinions are Foreign Affairs, known as AFET, International Trade, known as INTA, and Employment and Social Affairs, known as EMPL. While AFET and INTA have not released any documents, EMPL has posted their draft opinion with 49 proposed amendments. Below are important dates to watch in the legislative process. The most important committee to follow will be JURI. June 3 - 5: Committee meetings for JURI, ECON, ENVI, EMPL, and AFET. For now, the Omnibus is not on the agenda for JURI. However, June 4 is the anticipated date for JURI to release the amendments proposed by committee members. EMPL will meet and vote on their draft opinion on June 4. EMPL members have until June 3 to offer amendments. ECON will meet and vote on their proposed amendments on June 4. With 514 proposed amendments, it is unclear how the committee will approach the opinion. The agendas for AFET, ECON, and ENVI do not include the omnibus. June 23 - 26: Committee meetings for JURI, ECON, ENVI, EMPL, AFET, INTA. June 27: Deadline for political groups to offer amendments. Following the deadline for amendments, the Parliament will enter into intergroup negotiations. These are 'informal exchanges' organized by the chairs of the political groups to allow MEPs to discuss proposals. July 14 - 15, September 1, and September 22 - 23: JURI Committee meetings. October 13: This is final regular JURI Committee meeting and the anticipated date that the Parliament will make their final vote on the Omnibus. October - December: Trilogue. Following the vote of the Parliament, designated representatives from the Parliament, Council, and Commission will enter into "trilogue" negotiations. The proposals from each of the three bodies will vary. The trilogue will negotiate the differences to produce a final directive. That directive will be sent to the Council and Parliament for a final vote. October 31: EFRAG will submit revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards to the Commission. These standards will be adopted by the Commission after the final passage of the omnibus. December: Final vote in Council and Parliament. The Commission is pushing hard for the Omnibus Simplification Package to be adopted by the end of 2025. However, there is a possibility it spills over into early 2026.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Tanzanian politician's lawyers ask UN to declare his detention arbitrary
Lawyers for Tanzania's jailed opposition leader Tundu Lissu filed a complaint on Friday to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in a bid to ramp up international pressure for his release. Lissu, chairman of Tanzania's main opposition party and runner-up in the 2020 presidential election, was arrested last month and charged with treason, a capital offence, over comments he is alleged to have made calling on supporters to prevent national elections in October from going ahead. Tanzania's government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. While President Samia Suluhu Hassan has won plaudits for easing political repression, she has faced questions about unexplained abductions of government critics in recent months. Hassan, who will stand for re-election in October, has said her government respects human rights and ordered an investigation into the reported abductions. Lissu's international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, said the confidential complaint to the UN working group, which issues opinions but has no enforcement power, was part of a wider pressure campaign. The European Parliament this month adopted a resolution denouncing Lissu's arrest as politically motivated, and Amsterdam said he would petition the US State Department to impose sanctions. "Right down to prosecutors, judges, police - all the people that are involved in this false show trial had better be aware that they should protect their US assets," Amsterdam told Reuters. Read more on RFI EnglishRead also:Kenya slammed as 'rogue state' over Ugandan opposition leader kidnapKenyan politician, lawyer for Tanzania opposition leader arrestedTension high in Tanzania ahead of opposition leader's 'treason' trial
Belfast Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Former NI Secretary of State ‘thrilled' with new job away from politics
Mr Heaton-Harris first entered politics when he became a member of the European Parliament in 1999. A self-described 'fierce Eurosceptic', he served in Brussels before standing down in 2009. The following year he entered the House of Commons in what was his third attempt to win a seat. He served for a time as the Government's chief whip, Minister of State for Transport and Minister of State for Europe. Mr Heaton-Harris also chaired the European Research Group, a Eurosceptic group of Conservative MPs. He garnered controversy in 2017 when he wrote to UK universities, asking for the names of professors who taught courses on Brexit. When Liz Truss became Prime Minister in September 2022, the MP for Daventry was elevated to the post of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, a role he retained under Rishi Sunak when he entered 10 Downing Street in October 2022. The post has long be seen as one of the less glamorous Cabinet positions. Mr Heaton-Harris was not without his critics during his time as Northern Ireland Secretary, with much of his tenure covering a period when the Executive was down. He was frequently accused of kicking the can down the road when it came to efforts to get Stormont back up and running, calling an election, and cutting MLA pay. He chose not to stand for re-election in last July's General Election and, since leaving office, launched Oak Communications, a consultancy firm offering 'straightforward insight in a changing world'. It is understood Mr Heaton-Harris, a licensed football referee, also unsuccessfully applied to chair the new Independent Football Regulator in November 2024. Now the former MP has added another job to his CV by joining M2 Recovery as a senior advisor. According to the company's website, the firm's team 'comprises seasoned professionals with decades of combined experience in cybersecurity, blockchain technology, and financial services'. 'Collectively, we have many decades of experience working with the highest-profile clients on the most complex cases involving insurance, crypto asset recoveries, and crypto legal expenses insurance,' the website reads. Mr Heaton-Harris said he was 'thrilled' to join the firm. 'In my years as an MP, I dealt with many constituents devastated by the impact of fraud and witnessed the evolution of digital threats facing consumers,' he said. 'M2 Recovery's pioneering approach to restoring trust in the crypto space is exactly what this moment demands and I'm excited to be contributing to the company's rapid growth and continued success.' Neil Holloway, founder of M2 Recovery, said: 'Chris's unparalleled governance experience, from challenging financial malfeasance in Europe to steering critical political negotiations, aligns perfectly with our ethos of accountability. 'This will strengthen our ability to protect victims of increasingly personalised crypto scams, ensuring M2 Recovery remains at the vanguard of this vital sector.'
Euronews
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Brussels, my love? War in Gaza - what's Netanyahu's endgame?
In the Middle East, we've come to a turning point. Many of Israel's remaining allies have broken publicly with Benjamin Netanyahu's government for its relentless pummelling of Gaza and freezing of desperately needed humanitarian aid. In a highly unusual move, Canada, France and the UK threatened Israel with consequences. And even Donald Trump seems to run out of patience. Will Netanyahu listen? What leverage does the international community have on Israel? And on Hamas? Questions to this week's panel: James Moran, associate senior research fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Kathleen Van Brempt, member of the European Parliament from the Belgian Social Democrats and Jacob Reynolds, head of policy at Hungarian think tank MCC Brussels. International pressure has been mounting on Israel over the past several days over its strategy in Gaza. The European Union said it will review its wide-ranging trade and cooperation pact with Israel over what Brussels sees as a catastrophic situation in Gaza . And even Germany, usually a staunch Israeli ally, voiced strong criticism, signalling that Berlin is unwilling to become isolated in the EU over Israel. It doesn't look like Netanyahu is willing to change anything. Israel launched a new military offensive into the enclave amid the reports that Israel's military plans to control 75% of Gaza within the next two months. Should Europe push (again) for a two-state solution? Behind the innocent acronym SAFE lies a risky gamble, a continental ambition, and perhaps the beginning of an assertive military divorce from Washington. SAFE stands for 'Security Action for Europe', an unprecedented 150 billion-euro plan to revolutionize the Old Continent's defence capabilities. A kind of Marshall Plan for the 21st century, but with support no longer coming from the United States. The EU Commission proposed SAFE through a legislative instrument that allows it to bypass a vote by the Parliament. And this is the problem. Was this a smart move? The president of the European Parliament threatened to sue the Commission over this plan - are we running into a constitutional crisis here? Finally, participants discussed the latest fight between Brussels and Hungary. The European Commission is setting the stage for an all-out confrontation with Budapest. Brussels has demanded that Budapest withdraw its controversial draft law aimed at limiting foreign funding of media organizations and NGOs. If the law were to come into force, it would give the government far-reaching powers to crack down on the press and critical voices in society. The EU Commission sees this as a serious violation of European principles and laws. Some members of the European Parliament from five different groups are urging the Commission to immediately freeze all EU funding to Hungary. Is this the right reaction and would it even be legally possible? What is the end game here? Can Hungary survive as a member of the European Union? Poland's two presidential candidates held their last election campaigns on Friday ahead of a runoff vote on Sunday. It will follow a first round on May 18, in which Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski won more than 31% of the vote and Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian, earned nearly 30%. Eleven other candidates were eliminated. In the seaside city of Gdansk, Trzaskowski referenced the city's role in the Solidarity movement while addressing supporters. 'We all remember the shipyard workers who said, 'enough fear, enough lies, enough contempt.' Today, once again, we must stand together,' he said. 'For you, it will be just a few steps to the polling station, but together we can make a milestone towards realising our dreams and aspirations.' In his closing address, Nawrocki presented himself as a candidate who is 'simply one of you.' He described himself as 'a citizen of the Polish state who has come a long way to compete with a man created by a political laboratory.' Under Polish law, all campaigning and political advertising must cease at midnight. No public comment is allowed until polls close on Sunday.
