POSITION| ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY | INDUSTRIAL POLICY
EU Environmental Omnibus to simplify environmental law Improving implementation, speeding up procedures, reducing the burden on businesses
20 November 2025 Europe must now take the express bus – making environmental law leaner, simpler and more efficient Trust-based regulation for greater personal responsibility on the part of project operators The Federation of German Industries (BDI) represents more than 100,000 large, medium-sized and small companies from all sectors of the manufacturing industry, which together employ more than eight million people. Companies are having to spend more and more time fulfilling reporting and documentation requirements, complying with regulatory requirements and adapting to new regulations. This culture of mistrust towards the economy must urgently give way to trust-based regulation. This provides a framework in which companies can act independently, thereby strengthening them and creating opportunities for growth. European companies are calling for the EU legal framework, in particular European environmental law, to be adapted to the realities of global competition. This means that European legislation may need to be aligned with the standards of our competitors, while ensuring that compromises remain possible. Simplified and streamlined regulations will make it easier for companies to comply with regulations and achieve Europe's ambitious economic and environmental goals without unnecessary bureaucracy. The European Commission has announced its intention to make Europe more sustainable, innovative, competitive, resilient and independent. Existing and new regulations are to be simplified and bureaucratic hurdles removed. These simplification measures are to be implemented in a series of omnibus proposals. These announcements point in the right direction: streamlining regulations, reducing unnecessary costs and burdens, and making EU regulations more efficient are essential first steps in promoting innovation and strengthening Europe's industrial base while maintaining our high principles and standards. The BDI expressly welcomes the Commission's legislative proposal on "simplifying administrative burdens in environmental law" (environmental omnibus). , it is important to take swift initial steps to ease the burden on businesses and administrations, which will have a noticeable positive impact. However, a number of European environmental laws require more
Dr Alexander Kessler | Environment, Technology and Sustainability | T: +32 2 792-1007 | a.kessler@bdi.eu | www.bdi.eu