18/10/2024 (Agence Europe) – The simplification demanded by businesses in the context of the European Green Deal in recent years looks more like “deregulation - the lowering of environmental or social standards”, said WWF Europe on Friday 18 October. This is why the NGO is calling on the European Commission to introduce “a first-of-its-kind smart implementation programme that leverages digitalisation”. On the financing side of the European Green Deal, the WWF estimates that the EU currently spends between €34 billion and €48 billion a year on subsidies that harm the environment. According to the WWF, 20% of all infringement cases handled by the European Commission relate to environmental legislation. (FS)