On Tuesday 2 July, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) published an analysis of the progress made on environmental and climate policies under the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council, which ended on 30 June, in a post-electoral context marked by major agricultural protests and increased pressure on the ‘European Green Deal’.
“During the Belgian Presidency, there have been unprecedented and shocking efforts by anti-regulation ideologues, political power interests, and lobbying by short-term vested interests to drop, delay or degrade environmental and social protections”, the EEB report details.
The EEB’s assessment is based on the “ten green tests” presented at the start of the Belgian Presidency on 1 January 2024 (see EUROPE 13323/9).
While the EEB welcomes Belgium’s efforts to maintain the ambition levels of the ‘Green Deal’ “in the face of a complicated political context”, notably by promoting the circular economy, environmental justice and adopting the law on nature restoration (see EUROPE 13433/2), it is more critical of water management and agriculture.
The EBB states that the results of its test are not satisfactory for “tackling the pressure on surface water and groundwater and guaranteeing clean water for all” and for “driving a transition towards sustainable food and agriculture, and healthy soils”.
On the energy front, the NGO notes that the Belgian Presidency has worked hard to promote the ‘Fit for 55’ package, “although promoting nuclear power risks slowing down investments today on nature and people-positive renewables as well as on energy and material efficiency”.
The EEB also regrets the lack of a coherent energy taxation policy, which “will continue to allow fossil fuels to compete unfairly with renewables”.
To see the report: https://aeur.eu/f/cxg (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)