The EPP proposals, if passed into law, would significantly raise the thresholds for the size of companies that would be subject to the corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence rules, with only those with 1,750 employees and revenue of €450 million a year having to comply. The Commission had proposed setting the threshold at 1,000 employees.
It would also scrap the requirements for companies to have climate change transition plans under the due diligence rules.
“We all know it can pass with the right-wing bloc,” said an EPP MEP, granted anonymity to speak candidly. “It is what it is.” However, officials pointed out the whole file could fall through if not enough far-right MEPs support the EPP’s position.
But the far-right Patriots group is already cheering.
“We have won … the EPP has no other choice but to vote for the amendments they proposed, which are actually copy-pasted from the ones the Patriots and other right-wing groups agreed last month,” said French MEP Pascale Piera, negotiator for the file on behalf of the Patriots.
The Socialists and Greens accuse the EPP of not even trying to engage in constructive talks. The EPP’s negotiator, Warborn, has refused to meet with the MEPs leading the negotiations on behalf of S&D, Renew, and Greens in the same room.
“We have proposed several options for EPP, where we move in their direction,” said Green MEP Kira Marie Peter-Hansen. “I find it outrageous that the EPP slams the door on a pro-European solution, refusing for weeks to meet with the three democratic groups, and instead go into an alliance with the extreme right.”