On Monday, the 19th of October, the European Commission adopted its 2021 work programme. Energy and climate policy and legislation embedded in the European Green Deal remain one of the main priorities for Europe’s growth strategy and the systemic change it needs.

In that respect, the upcoming Environment Council will discuss the European Climate Law, after the recent vote of the European Parliament reiterated the serious commitment to further boost emissions reductions target. This is a timely opportunity to assess the progress on this regulation and on other climate-related issues, such as the EU biodiversity strategy and the circular economy action plan. A fully-fledged Green Deal, underpinned by ambitious environmental targets for the future, must embody the main tool to ensure a rapid and robust recovery from the economic slowdown due to the coronavirus crisis and to develop a sustainable economy for the years to come. In this process, European citizens from all walks of life and civil society organisations need to be connected to the decision-making bodies and involved in shaping Europe’s green recovery.

Key Texts

• European Commission: 8th Environmental Action Programme
• European Commission: European Climate Law

Upcoming Dates

• 23 October: Environment Council
• 28 October: European Parliament’s ENVI Committee Meeting

The European Movement International position

In our policy position on “Moving Towards a Sustainable Future” we argue that a sustainable economy should rely on a healthy environment and be the cornerstone of a green future.  For this reason, environmental protection and climate action must become the top priorities of the European Union. We therefore  believe that the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement should be at the core of the EU Green Deal.  In our policy position on  A European Union Response to COVID-19 we point out that the European Green Deal, as the EU’s growth strategy, should guide the EU’s recovery from the health crisis. Therefore, the recovery of Europe’s economy must prioritise the transition to a just and sustainable future while ensuring that all sectors are on a path towards climate neutrality.