Simplification vs. Sustainability? How social sustainability can benefit migrant workers and enhance competitiveness of Farm to Fork sectors

Amid rising geoeconomic and geopolitical tensions, simplification has emerged as a central policy priority for the European Union (EU) under the current 2024-2029 policy cycle. In a push to boost competitiveness and economic growth, mandatory sustainability requirements and labour standards are increasingly framed as burdens on companies. In this context, the European Commission has so far proposed ten ‘Omnibus packages’ aimed at simplifying EU regulation and reducing administrative burdens. Among them, the EU has already adopted the ‘Sustainability Omnibus’ and the ‘Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Omnibus’. While the former scales back sustainability reporting and due diligence obligations introduced only a few years back, the latter focuses on streamlining administrative requirements, increasing flexibility for farmers, and simplifying compliance and control rules linked to EU funding.

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How to cite: Smrekovà, K. (2026). Manifesto 4 – WP3.2: Simplification vs. Sustainability? How social sustainability can benefit migrant workers and enhance competitiveness of Farm to Fork sectors. DignityFIRM. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18980810