Europe’s largest industrial players, Siemens and TotalEnergies, have prompted European leaders to eliminate one of the most high-profile corporate sustainability laws. The reason behind this is that it adds additional regulatory burdens, which affect the company’s competitive edge.
According to a letter from a reputed news agency, Total Energies CEO Patrick Pouyanné and Siemens AG CEO Roland Busch jointly wrote to French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on behalf of 46 European companies.
The letter dated October 6 mentioned the elimination of the sustainability law as a direct indication that the European Government and Commission are extremely keen on restoring Europe's competitiveness in the global market. Siemens added that Europe’s ability to compete globally depends on curbing “excessive regulation” and cutting through layers of bureaucracy across industries.
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The spokesperson of TotalEnergies confirmed that the correspondence outlined the top five priorities of the 46 signatories, aiming at Europe’s economic resilience and strength.
Beyond the call to repeal the corporate sustainability directive, the companies also urged the European Union not to move forward with plans to cut free pollution permits for industries next year. They further recommended reforming EU competition laws to allow more corporate mergers, assessing them through a global rather than purely European lens.
The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDDD), adopted last year, requires large companies to address human rights in their supply chains. However, this law has become one of the most remarkable politically divisive elements of the EU’s green transition agenda.
While EU lawmakers are already negotiating to soften and streamline the directive, Siemens and TotalEnergies’ joint appeal takes the demand further — calling for the complete abolition of the regulation rather than partial reform. The companies argue that such a move would signal a decisive shift toward pro-industry policymaking and reinforce Europe’s competitiveness in an increasingly globalised market.
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