The EU is set to weaken more environment reporting rules, according to a draft document. This move aims to reduce bureaucracy for companies and industry, targeting environmental reporting requirements. The proposal, due to be published on Wednesday, is part of the European Union's broader effort to streamline regulations and cut costs. The EU's environmental regulations are already among the strictest in the world, covering CO2 emissions, water quality, and bans on harmful chemicals. The Commission, the EU's executive body, plans to end the requirement for individual industrial facilities and livestock farms to have an environmental management system (EMS) detailing their pollution and waste reduction actions. Instead, companies can opt for a slimmed-down EMS covering all their sites, simplifying some existing reporting obligations. The proposal also scraps the need for industrial facilities to have a transformation plan aligned with climate goals and eliminates water and energy use reporting for livestock and fish farms. These changes are expected to cut administrative costs by around 1 billion euros annually. However, environmental campaigners and some businesses argue that these weakened rules could undermine efforts to manage climate change risks and hinder the green transition. The EU faces pressure from governments to weaken policies related to CO2 emissions, including the 2035 ban on new CO2-emitting cars. This move comes as the EU has already delayed its anti-deforestation law, exempted companies from sustainability reporting and due diligence rules, and weakened green conditions on farming subsidies. Critics accuse Brussels of gutting laws that support the green transition, while the EU maintains its core climate change targets.
