Ever since the EU Commission embarked on a course towards reducing bureaucracy at the beginning of 2025, many companies - including trade fair actors - have been asking themselves whether and to what extent they will be affected by reporting obligations in the area of sustainability. After lengthy debates, the negotiators from the EU Commission, Council and Parliament have now reached an agreement on the so-called Omnibus I package.
The agreement reached by the European co-legislators on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) contains the following points:
- CSRD is to apply to companies with more than 1,000 employees and an annual net turnover of more than 450 million euros. The European Parliament was unable to push through its threshold of 1,750 employees.
- CSDDD should apply to companies with more than 5,000 employees and a net turnover of more than 1.5 billion euros. The Council and Parliament held identical positions here, which were significantly higher than the Commission's proposal (1,000 employees + €450 million turnover).
Review clause introduced
Interestingly, a review clause was agreed, according to which the legislators can re-examine the agreed thresholds at a certain point in time and adjust them if necessary. The current wording allows for both upward and downward adjustments.
Other significant changes relate to the CSDDD supply chain directive. For example, the compliance obligation for companies will not begin until July 2029 - one year later than originally planned. In addition, the obligation to draw up climate transition plans, with which companies should adapt their business models to the climate targets of the Paris Agreement, will no longer apply.
Final votes in mid-December
The trialogue result must now be formally confirmed by the Council and Parliament. The corresponding votes in the European Council are due to take place this year, while the plenary vote in Parliament is scheduled for 16 December 2025.
