Police say there were 100 participants in a protest against the European Commission's 'omnibus' package in Brussels on Tuesday.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), which organised the demonstration, says these measures will lead to deregulation that will weaken workers' rights and environmental protections.
Trade unionists and environmental activists assembled on Rue Archimède from 10:00. A banner reading "EU Omnibus: Destination Deregulation" was unfurled near the Berlaymont building. Bus tickets marked "workers denied boarding" were handed out to those entering and leaving the building.
The extensive legislative package aims to reduce the bureaucratic burden on businesses by decreasing administrative tasks, simplifying rules and requiring fewer declarations. However, leftwing groups fear this simplification equates to deregulation, compromising social and environmental commitments.
'Outright deregulation'
The first aspect of this omnibus targets the simplification of sustainability information that companies must disclose, particularly in due diligence and taxonomy.
While the Commission argues the need to protect smaller businesses from disproportionate administrative burdens, changes to two texts — corporate sustainability due diligence and corporate sustainability reporting — are particularly concerning for ETUC.
In addition to workers' rights, unions are worried about the potential dismantling of the Green Deal and a deceleration in the environmental and economic transition of European businesses.
"The European Commission must legislate in the general interest, but here it is acting in violation of its own better regulation rules by rewriting legislation solely for the benefit of businesses," said ETUC Deputy General Secretary Isabelle Schömann. "This project goes beyond mere 'simplification': it is outright deregulation."
