Frankfurt/Brussels, 25 June 2025 – VDMA Managing Director Thilo Brodtmann comments on the ongoing negotiations in Brussels regarding the omnibus package on sustainability:

•    "Europe must stay on course and noticeably reduce the bureaucratic burden on companies with the omnibus package. Symbolic politics is useless - we need a clear focus on rules that can be implemented. Only then can the omnibus package make a real contribution to strengthening Europe as a centre for industry."

•    "We therefore view with concern the attempt by some political groups in the European Parliament to torpedo the omnibus package. There is a risk that sensible facilitation proposals will be watered down in the further legislative process. This would be a step backwards for all those who are in favour of a balanced and realistic legislative package."

•    "MEP Jörgen Warborn's report on the revision of reporting obligations and the EU Due Diligence Directive even goes beyond the European Commission's original proposal in several respects. It thus sends a strong signal in favour of greater competitiveness in Europe."

•    "Unlike some parliamentary groups, the EU Council has clearly understood the importance of the omnibus package. The member states are focussing on a practical implementation of the directives. In doing so, they are doing justice to the limited influence that companies can exert in the supply chain."

•    "In our view, it is particularly urgent to significantly reduce the costs that are currently incurred due to costly audits and complex reporting obligations. Companies lack these resources for urgently needed investments in innovation, new technologies and genuine sustainability. Bureaucracy must not become an obstacle to innovation - corrections are urgently needed here."

VDMA represents 3600 German and European mechanical and plant engineering companies. The industry stands for innovation, export orientation and SMEs. The companies employ around 3 million people in the EU-27, more than 1.2 million of them in Germany alone. This makes mechanical and plant engineering the largest employer among the capital goods industries, both in the EU-27 and in Germany. In the European Union, it represents a turnover volume of an estimated 870 billion euros. Around 80 percent of the machinery sold in the EU comes from a manufacturing plant in the domestic market.