The ministers of the EU Member States, meeting at the ‘Environment’ Council on Tuesday 16 December in Brussels, approved conclusions on the 2030 environmental objectives for the EU, stressing the urgent need to do more to promote the EU’s climate resilience and its transition to a circular economy.
The conclusions are based on a recent report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on the state of Europe’s environment, as well as a previous report from 2024 on progress towards the objectives of the 8th Environmental Action Programme (EAP), the EU’s strategic framework for 2030. Its six priority objectives are zero pollution, reducing emissions, climate adaptation, the circular economy, biodiversity and reducing pressure on the environment.
The Council of the EU is alarmed that of the 28 indicators measured by the EEA report - such as air, soil and water quality, waste production, greenhouse gas emissions, resource use and biodiversity protection - 22 are not in line with the objectives. Last year, this number was 20.
According to Magnus Heunicke, Danish Minister for the Environment, whose country chairs the Council, “We have made progress on the circular economy, but the EU’s consumption of raw materials is still too high, recycling rates and quality are still limited, and we are still dependent on critical raw materials from outside Europe. That’s why it’s vital to move towards a circular economy in order to reduce environmental pressures and improve security of supply”.
The Member States recognise the efforts made in the transition to a circular economy, but these are still insufficient. The conclusions point out that “the cost of not implementing EU environmental law amounts to €180 billion per year in relation to current environmental targets”. They stress the interconnection between the EU’s environmental and economic objectives, with the transition to the circular economy bringing with it new opportunities for “Europe’s competitiveness, and driving innovation”.
To achieve the 2030 targets, the Member States are calling for better use of resources, for example through the creation of a genuine “Single market for secondary raw materials”, or better management of waste flows, for example to make lithium batteries safer.
The Member States welcome a number of initiatives on the European Commission’s agenda for 2026, including the introduction of a ‘European Climate Resilience Framework’, a ‘Circular Economy Act’ and a ‘Bioeconomy Strategy’. The first will ensure that European policies continue to include measures to prepare for climate upheaval. The second will support supply and demand for circular products and reduce dependence on critical resources, while accelerating the implementation of the EU’s ‘Clean Industrial Deal’. The ‘Bioeconomy Strategy’ will work towards a sustainable and circular use of natural resources.
However, the Member States “regret that the Commission has not presented a legislative proposal to add an annex to the 8th EAP with actions for the period post-2025”. The EU-27 are therefore calling on the Commission to put forward such a proposal “to maintain the continuity and ambition” of the 8th EAP.
See the conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/k17 (Original version in French by Romain L'Hostis)