Brussels, 10 December 2025 | On Human Rights Day, EFFAT warns that the political deal on the EU Sustainability Omnibus reached yesterday sides with reckless corporations over workers and the planet, gutting accountability and leaving communities, in Europe and across the world, exposed to exploitation and environmental harm.
EFFAT warns that the agreement undermines decades of progress towards responsible business conduct and respect for human rights.
Under the new rules:
- Only the very largest companies (5,000 employees / €1.5 bn turnover for EU firms; €1.5 bn turnover in the EU for non-EU firms) will fall under due diligence obligations, excluding over 90% of originally in-scope companies.
- Due diligence assessments will be significantly weakened, with companies restricted from requesting information from the vast majority of their business partners, risking many risks of human rights abuses going unnoticed.
- The requirement for companies to implement climate transition plans has been scrapped
- Penalties are capped at 3% of global turnover, & civil liability protections are entirely removed, risking victims’ access to justice and greatly reducing the efficacy of the directive.
On Human Rights Day, this deal shows just how far Europe is drifting from its commitments to workers’ rights, environmental justice, and basic human dignity. A Europe that retreats on social, economic, and environmental progress is not the Europe working people deserve. MEPs must stand on the right side of history and reject this agreement’ says William Eddershaw, EFFAT Company Policy Officer.
With next week’s European Parliament plenary vote approaching, the stakes could not be higher.
MEPs must reject this agreement, and restart negotiations to deliver an agreement which:
- Broadens the scope – including the majority of companies captured by the existing Directive
- Ensures accountability – maintaining EU-wide civil liability, meaningful assessments of business partners, and worker participation.
- Restores climate plans – committing major corporations to a Paris-aligned, net-zero transition
Europe cannot afford to let a small group of lobbyists rewrite the rules while workers and the planet pay the price. EFFAT will continue to work with affiliates to root out abuse in supply chains and for a rights- based future.
