From tangled to tidy: can the Environmental Omnibus simplify Europe’s green transition?
Position Paper
9 Sep 2025
Consumer affairs, Corporate sustainability, Environment, Energy, simplification

Europe’s environmental rules have become increasingly complex, creating contradictory and duplicative requirements that undermine the EU’s competitiveness globally. With the Environmental Omnibus, the EU has an opportunity to streamline its most complex rules. Tackling overlaps, inconsistencies and excessive reporting obligations would improve legal clarity, enhance predictability and strengthen the business case for investment and the clean transition. From permitting to product sustainability, waste, chemicals and beyond, learn why clearer rules will drive Europe’s competitiveness and accelerate the green transition.

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29 Apr 2026

Revision of the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation: Following a balanced Report, trilogues must secure simplification

Today, the European Parliament adopted its Omnibus VI report, including the revision of the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation, by 540 votes to 60. The outcome supports a more streamlined framework by easing the regulatory burden on value chains that rely on chemicals and sending a positive signal of the EU’s commitment to reducing unnecessary complexity.

With the Council’s position agreed in November 2025, the Parliament’s report marks the final step before trilogues, which will conclude negotiations on the targeted revision of the CLP Regulation.

The report largely aligns with the Commission’s simplification agenda and strengthens the CLP Regulation’s overall workability, especially with regards to:

  • Transition periods, setting 18 months following classification updates and allowing digital contact information to be updated on the label in line with suppliers’ regular update cycles. This better reflects supply chain realities.

  • Advertising and distance sales requirements, appropriately excluding business-to-business settings while ensuring consumers remain protected; and

  • Label legibility requirements, with more proportionate minimum font sizes and rules on background contrast, spacing and overall layout. However, further simplification is still needed to ensure sufficient flexibility for businesses.

While the report represents a constructive step forward, trilogues should address remaining constraints and clarify language that is currently difficult to interpret, including further simplification on font sizes and advertising requirements in business-to-consumer settings. These negotiations should draw on the more proportionate approaches of the Commission and the Council.

Maintaining a strong focus on simplification will be key to further alleviating administrative burdens and strengthening the EU’s resilience and competitiveness.

Environment
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Read more about Revision of the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation: Following a balanced Report, trilogues must secure simplification
Position Paper
29 Apr 2026

Simplifying the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation: recommendations for trilogues

On 8 July 2025, the Commission presented the Omnibus VI simplification package, reopening key legislation such as the CLP Regulation, which entered into force in December 2024. The Omnibus addresses overlaps and inconsistencies that create practical challenges and, in some cases, make compliance unworkable.


Upcoming trilogues can streamline the framework and reduce unnecessary burdens. This paper sets out targeted recommendations on the positions that can achieve meaningful simplification during the inter-institutional negotiations.

Environment
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Read more about Simplifying the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation: recommendations for trilogues
Position Paper
21 Apr 2026

Industrial Accelerator Act: keeping Europe competitive and open to investment

The Industrial Accelerator Act will be a key test of whether the EU can strengthen industrial competitiveness while advancing decarbonisation. With significant pressure already weighing on businesses in Europe, from high energy costs and supply chain disruptions to unnecessary red tape and intensifying global competition, getting that balance right matters. If Europe fails to send clear signals that it remains a predictable place to invest, capital will go elsewhere.

AmCham EU supports the objectives of the IAA, but its success will depend on how it is designed. A central question in the debate is how ‘European preference’ should be approached. Strengthening Europe’s economic resilience and security is a legitimate objective. However, an approach that creates uncertainty for companies from partner countries, particularly by leaving key decisions to secondary legislation, risks undermining investment and limiting access to the technologies needed for the transition.

The focus should instead be on providing clarity early and rewarding companies that create real EU-added value through manufacturing, R&D, skills and emissions reductions. Learn more in our full paper.

Industry
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