Green Groups Take EU Water-Law Overhaul Plan to Watchdog

Environmental campaigners have lodged a formal complaint with the European Ombudsman, accusing the European Commission of rushing a planned overhaul of the EU's water protection rules without sufficient evidence or public consultation.

The move is the latest challenge to the bloc's broader deregulation drive, known as the "omnibus" strategy, which aims to cut red tape for industries that argue EU environmental rules hurt their competitiveness against rivals in the US and China.

The contested plan involves revising the EU's main water legislation this year. The revision was prompted partly by concerns from mining and metals firms, which say current environmental safeguards delay permits for new critical raw material mines and other industrial projects.

In their complaint, the World Wildlife Fund, the European Environmental Bureau, and three other groups argue that the Commission failed to properly gather evidence or engage stakeholders before announcing the revision. They called this failure an act of maladministration, saying the cumulative effect "amounts to a flagrant deviation from established due process."

The groups also contend that the existing water laws are not the reason mining permits face delays, and therefore do not require revision.

A Commission spokesperson said the executive had not yet been notified of the complaint but reiterated that it is engaging in a "transparent and inclusive dialogue" with member states and stakeholders while assessing input.

The Ombudsman will now decide whether to open an inquiry, a process that could take several weeks. While the watchdog lacks enforcement powers, its recommendations can influence future EU lawmaking and increase scrutiny of the Commission.

Last year, the Ombudsman compelled the Commission to publicly justify its fast-tracking of other proposals to roll back sustainability rules, and to assess whether those changes aligned with Europe's climate commitments.