EU Parliament to tackle sustainability rules again this week
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The European Parliament’s centrist coalition faces a tense week as lawmakers prepare for a crucial vote on cutting EU red tape for businesses, a proposal that has exposed deep divisions within the political mainstream.
The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) is weighing two possible alliances to push the so-called “omnibus package” through Parliament: either working with its traditional centrist partners, the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), the Greens, and Renew Europe, or turning to support from the far right, a move that would have been politically unthinkable just a few years ago.
The Parliament is revisiting the proposal after an earlier vote in October collapsed when Socialist MEPs broke ranks in a secret ballot, derailing what had seemed a centrist agreement. The latest effort aims to simplify sustainability reporting requirements for businesses, though political groups remain split over how far those rules should be relaxed.
Talks between the EPP, S&D, Renew, and Greens continued through the week, with negotiators expressing cautious optimism. “Until the voting is done, a compromise is always reachable,” said René Repasi, the Socialist lead negotiator. Green MEP Kira Marie Peter-Hansen urged the EPP to stay aligned with pro-European forces rather than “allying themselves with the extreme right.”
Still, uncertainty looms. Even if a deal is reached before Thursday’s vote, individual MEPs may again defy party lines, leaving the outcome. and the future of the EU’s deregulation agenda, far from certain.
