The European Parliament voted on Thursday, November 13, to significantly narrow the scope of the corporate due diligence directive. Right-wing and far-right groups allied in an unprecedented move to gut the text's substance. The change limits companies' obligations to prevent human rights violations and environmental damage.
On November 13, 2025, an alliance of right-wing and far-right European parties led the European Parliament to adopt amendments weakening the corporate due diligence directive. Passed with 382 votes against 249, the decision reduces the number of affected companies. Now, only those with more than 5,000 employees and turnover exceeding 1.5 billion euros will be subject to these requirements, up from 1,000 employees and 450 million euros previously.
The directive aims to require companies to prevent human rights violations, such as child labor, forced labor, or safety failures, as well as environmental damage throughout their value chains. Until now, this majority had limited itself to non-binding texts, but it crossed a threshold with this binding law.
The European People's Party (PPE) worked with nationalists from various backgrounds, including France's Rassemblement national (RN), Giorgia Meloni's Fratelli d’Italia, and Hungary's Fidesz. Together, the right and far right toppled a 'totem' by stripping the text of its substance, according to observers. This unprecedented alliance highlights a growing political dynamic in the European Parliament.