"The ever-increasing number of reporting and documentation obligations has posed enormous challenges for companies for years now. While European environmental regulations often have important objectives, their practical implementation requirements lead to considerable bureaucratic costs, time expenditure, and administrative overload, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.

We therefore welcome the fact that the European Commission, with its announced 'Environmental Omnibus,' is demonstrating its intention to reduce excessive bureaucracy and regulation in these areas. The planned simplifications to the environmental management of the Industrial Emissions Directive, the acceleration of environmental impact assessments, and the abolition of the SCIP database are, for example, first steps in the right direction.

At the same time, key points remain too vague. The Commission is leaving itself a loophole, particularly regarding the abolition of the SCIP database, as its function is to be reintroduced through future digital product passports. The announced revision of REACH (the EU regulation on chemicals) also requires a measured approach, clear guidelines, and a consistent focus on a real simplification. For the automotive industry, REACH is a crucial instrument for transparency and protection of the environment and health along the entire value chain. The goal must be to reduce bureaucracy, strengthen legal certainty, increase transparency, and promote the circular economy—while maintaining the same high level of protection for human health and the environment. The Circular Economy Act, which will be presented next year, must set the right course in this regard.

One thing is certain: the environmental omnibus can only be a first step. Now, swift concrete details and implementation are needed. In particular, the complex reporting obligations for preventing microplastics from plastic granules and the urgently required improvements to the packaging regulation have been overlooked. We expect timely solutions that demonstrate the EU understands that climate protection and competitiveness must be considered together."