Results for: EU Green Deal

Ursula von der Leyen’s re-election as European Commission president has led to concerns among environmental groups about a potential shift in focus away from nature towards industrial competitiveness, despite her commitment to the European Green Deal. While von der Leyen emphasizes a Clean Industrial Deal aimed at boosting EU competitiveness, environmental groups warn against neglecting the interconnectedness of climate, biodiversity, and pollution crises. The manifesto lacks concrete measures for biodiversity protection and relies heavily on incentives for farmers, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the Green Deal’s implementation.

Eleven EU member states, led by Germany and Ireland, are urging their counterparts to approve the Nature Restoration Law (NRL), a crucial piece of environmental legislation facing opposition as part of the backlash against the European Commission’s Green Deal agenda. The NRL, designed to address decades of biodiversity loss, aims to restore 20% of degraded marine and terrestrial ecosystems by 2030 and sets binding targets for specific ecosystems. With a vote on the law expected during the June EU Council summit, the letter signed by Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and Spain highlights concerns over the ongoing lack of support for the negotiated agreement. The signatories emphasize the importance of environmental protection in the face of climate change and public expectations. The law’s passage requires a qualified majority, and a shift in stance by one opposing country could secure its approval.

The European Court of Auditors has raised concerns about the EU’s plan to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2035. Auditors argue that the EU’s dependence on overseas suppliers for raw materials and batteries needed for electric vehicles could lead to a surge in electric car imports from China, threatening European industrial sovereignty.