The European Parliament's joint ECON-ENVI committee on 5 May 2026 debated the Commission's draft delegated acts revising the EU Taxonomy Regulation's technical screening and do no significant harm (DNSH) criteria. The revision, defended by Astrid Cousin (DG FISMA) as evidence-based simplification preserving best-in-class ambition, is slated for adoption in mid-June 2026 and application from January 2027. However, sharp disagreements emerged over whether the draft weakens environmental standards.
Janusz Lewandowski (EPP) and Jonás Fernández (S&D) questioned whether the simplification genuinely reduces burdens for SMEs and households, while Annalisa Corrado (S&D) and Jutta Paulus (Greens/EFA) warned that aligning DNSH with legal compliance risks deregulation. On energy neutrality, Ondřej Knotek (PfE) and Alexandr Vondra (ECR) pushed for reopening the regulation to extend nuclear and gas criteria, but Martin Hojsík (Renew) cited €1 trillion in compliant investment as proof of success and opposed reopening. Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP) insisted DNSH must capture biodiversity impacts beyond legal compliance.
Consensus emerged on the taxonomy's importance and need for usability improvements, but splits persisted on whether the draft weakened standards. Affected stakeholders include large companies (mandatory reporting), SMEs and households (exempt but affected by lending criteria), and energy, construction, and aviation sectors facing revised thresholds. Next steps: committee work continues, with adoption expected mid-2026.