As the next step in her inquiry into how the European Commission prepared a legislative package to simplify EU sustainability rules for businesses, Ombudswoman Anjinho has asked for detailed explanations on why a series of procedural steps - foreseen under internal rules - were not carried out.

Specifically, the Ombudswoman asked the Commission to explain its reasoning for not having an impact assessment, public consultation, or climate consistency assessment, as well as why an internal consultation between the Commission’s departments on the draft proposal lasted only 24 hours.

The request for further information follows a request to inspect relevant documents and a meeting between representatives of the European Ombudsman’s Office and the Commission in June, during which the Commission explained how it had drawn up the legislative proposal to amend the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.

The Ombudswoman asked the Commission to elaborate on its reasoning for the “critical urgency” of the proposal. Under the Better Regulation guidelines, derogations from requirements such as impact assessments must be thoroughly justified and well explained.

Additionally, the Ombudswoman asked the Commission to explain why a further public consultation was not considered necessary when two meetings held in February 2025, and attended mainly by business and industry representatives, appear to have been the only stakeholder exchanges held in relation to the proposed amended legislation.

The Ombudswoman also asked for clarification on the length of the internal consultation between the Commission’s departments. In certain situations, such inter-departmental consultations can be reduced from the usual 10 days to a fast-track procedure of 48 hours but this one was concluded within 24 hours.

Given the importance of this inquiry and the fact that other omnibus packages are planned, the Commission has been asked to respond by 15 September 2025.

This is the third ongoing inquiry by the European Ombudsman’s Office in relation to whether the Commission has followed the necessary rules when it prepares legislative proposals.

The other inquiries concern how the Commission prepared a proposal to amend legislation related to the Common Agricultural Policy, as well as its decision not to carry out an impact assessment for two legislative proposals aimed at countering migrant smuggling.