EU Commission Presents Environment Omnibus to Simplify Environmental Legislation

On 10 December 2025, the European Commission presented the Environment Omnibus, a package of five legislative proposals intended to simplify environmental legislation and reduce administrative burdens for businesses and public authorities. This forms part of the Commission’s wider efforts to boost competitiveness while maintaining EU environmental and health protection standards.

Purpose and Scope of the Omnibus

According to the Commission, the objective of the Omnibus is to streamline procedures, modernise reporting obligations, and improve the efficiency of environmental implementation. The proposals focus on areas where administrative requirements have become complex or outdated, including environmental assessments, industrial emissions, and waste and circular economy legislation.

Overview of the Five Legislative Proposals

The Environment Omnibus contains the following five proposals, each introducing targeted simplification measures:

1. Streamlined Environmental Assessments for Permitting
   This proposal introduces measures to simplify and accelerate environmental assessment and permitting procedures. It promotes the use of single points of contact, increased digitalisation and faster administrative timelines. It also includes a dedicated toolbox of accelerating measures is also included for projects in strategic sectors, such as digital infrastructure, critical raw materials and affordable housing, particularly those that contribute to decarbonisation or resource efficiency.
2. Simplified Industrial Emissions Standards
   The second proposal revises the requirements under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) to provide industry and farmers with greater flexibility. It simplifies the implementation of environmental management systems (EMS) by removing transformation plan obligations, extending preparation timelines, and eliminating the need for independent audits. Certain reporting requirements for farmers and aquaculture operators are also reduced, with additional simplifications for organic farming activities.
3. Replacement of the SCIP Database with Digital Solutions
   The third proposal concerns the reporting of hazardous substances in products. The Commission proposes replacing the SCIP database under the Waste Framework Directive, citing disproportionate costs. The SCIP database’s functions would be replaced by more effective digital tools, including the Digital Product Passport and elements of the One Substance One Assessment framework, while maintaining access to relevant information.
4. Simplification of Extended Producer Responsibility Obligations
   The fourth proposal targets Extended Producer Responsibility requirements across several waste streams, including batteries, packaging, electronic equipment, and single-use plastics. It temporarily suspends the obligation for EU-based producers to appoint authorised representatives in Member States where they are not established, pending the further streamlining of EPR schemes under the forthcoming Circular Economy Act.
5. Facilitated Access to Geospatial Data
   The fifth proposal aligns the technical requirements for geospatial data under the INSPIRE Directive with the horizontal EU legislation on high-value public-sector data. This alignment is intended to reduce compliance costs for public authorities and improve access to geospatial datasets for public and private users alike.

Future Simplification Initiatives

Beyond the current Environment Omnibus, the Commission has indicated that simplification efforts will continue in the coming years. This will include further stress-testing of existing environmental legislation, as well as additional guidance and measures to improve implementation at the EU and national levels.

As part of this ongoing work, the Commission intends to publish guidance to facilitate the timely and effective implementation of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). This guidance will address issues raised during the call for evidence and promote a more harmonised application across Member States. In addition, the Water Framework Directive is scheduled for review and revision in 2026, alongside planned updates to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, with the aim of improving coherence with EU freshwater legislation.

The Commission has also confirmed that the forthcoming Circular Economy Act, expected in 2026, will introduce simpler, more harmonised rules aimed at reducing the costs for cross-border circular economy activities.

Next Steps

The five proposals will now be examined by the European Parliament and the Council under the ordinary legislative procedure. Following adoption, the Commission plans to develop supporting guidance and digital tools to assist Member States and stakeholders with implementation.

The full text of the proposed regulation can be accessed here.