There is no question that the post-COVID-19 crisis European recovery plan is not an opportunity for a return to “business as usual”, stressed a collective of environmental NGOs and civil society organisations on Thursday 23 April, in a joint appeal published on purpose at the opening of the European Summit.
These NGOs are calling on the government leaders of the Member States and the EU to prepare an unprecedented ‘green and just’ economic recovery plan, financed by the EU budget, the European Stability Mechanism and possibly even Eurobonds.
“We call upon EU and national leaders to tackle the unprecedented crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic with unity, courage and innovation”, write the signatories (including WWF, T&E, CAN Europe, EEB, Greenpeace, FoE, CEE Bankwatch Network and HEAL).
Rather than bail out polluting fossil fuels, chemicals, cars and airlines, they believe that legislators should strengthen and implement the environmental laws announced in the European Green Deal.
They call for stimulus investments in polluting sectors to be conditional on their alignment with EU environmental and climate objectives. In their view, State Aid, loans and other business support will have to be subject to strict conditions.
To read the joint appeal in French: https://bit.ly/2xJCaUl and in English: https://bit.ly/3cFLIyf (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)