On Monday 27 April in Strasbourg, European Commissioner for Environment Jessika Roswall warned European Parliament’s Environment Committee against the European Union’s heavy dependence on fossil fuels and global supply chains. She argued that recent geopolitical crises have revealed major structural vulnerabilities.
She stressed the need to reduce dependence on third countries for critical raw materials and fossil fuels.
Jessika Roswall called for a combination of short-term measures and structural reforms, placing particular emphasis on electrification, decarbonisation and the development of European renewable energies.
She also extended her analysis to the industrial sectors, pointing out that fossil fuels are still widely used in the chemical, plastics, textile and fertiliser industries. To address this, Ms Roswall advocated accelerating circular economy and bioeconomy policies, with the aim of increasing resource efficiency, strategic autonomy and competitiveness. “The cheapest barrel of oil is the one we do not need”, she said.
She announced that she is currently working on future legislation regarding the circular economy, designed to remove market barriers for secondary raw materials, as well as a new framework for developing bio-sourced materials.
Jessika Roswall advocated for a “flexible [yet] ambitious” approach to European environmental legislation, asserting that the ecological transition must go hand in hand with the continent’s competitiveness and security.
Deforestation and water. When questioned by MEPs regarding legislation on imported deforestation (see EUROPE 13857/17), she stressed the need to take action on two fronts: simplifying obligations and improving the IT systems used for implementation.
On water policy, she confirmed the launch of a ‘stress test’ of the Water Framework Directive in 2026, noting that more than 3,000 contributions have been taken into account and that an impact study is currently underway. She argued for a pragmatic approach: “We have an obligation to verify that our rules remain fit for purpose”. She also mentioned technical adjustments for certain sectors, in particular the mining industry, while pointing out that flexibilities are already provided for under existing rules.
In response to concerns about a possible weakening of standards, she said: “We will not lower our ambitions regarding water quality”.
PFAS and REACH. With regard to chemical substances, in particular PFAS, Ms Roswall confirmed that a proposal for restrictions is currently being drafted (see EUROPE 13837/7). The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is working on the file, and decisions are expected by the end of 2026. However, she highlighted the technical and political complexity of the issue: “We want to move fast, but it takes time”.
She also confirmed that the revision of the REACH Regulation remains on hold, for the time being, in favour of a simplification approach that does not involve reopening the text itself.
Circular economy and plastics. Regarding recycling and the plastics industry, Jessika Roswall acknowledged the sector’s difficulties but advocated for a recovery strategy anchored in upcoming legislation on the circular economy. This legislation aims to remove internal market barriers for secondary raw materials and stimulate demand for recycled materials. She also argued in favour of a differentiated approach to quotas: “Some sectors already have them, others are asking for them and others are opposed to them”.
Faced with criticism regarding a potential weakening of environmental policy, the commissioner rejected any suggestion that the objectives were being questioned. She reaffirmed that the ‘Nature’ and ‘Birds’ Directives would remain in place.
The commissioner’s keynote address: https://aeur.eu/f/lpv (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)