Environmental standards: “We do not have the luxury of a break”, judges the vice-president of the European Commission

“We don’t have the luxury of a break, neither in climate policy nor in protecting our biodiversity” On Friday, June 2, European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans launched the Jacques Delors 2023 conference in Paris.

“The climate crisis is accelerating” but “60%, even more, of European land is in poor condition, we are losing bees, we are creating periods of drought, which will prevent agricultural production on huge areas…”he recalled.

His words resonate “European Regulatory Break” French President Emmanuel Macron’s demands for environmental standards have caused some concern in Brussels and among environmental activists. “Let’s get in and go all the way” on the EU Green Deal, “But let’s not add more”asked the latter.

The Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander de Crow called on A “break”including the texts of the Green Deal which are still under negotiation “Avoid Overloading the Boat” environmental standards. Frans Timmermans was particularly insistent on the biodiversity stakes, at a time when negotiations around the Nature Restoration Act are becoming more difficult.

“There is no defense of Europe without nature”

This key text of the European Green Deal (or Green Deal), which sets binding targets for restoring damaged ecosystems, has member states and MEPs particularly concerned about possible impacts on agricultural production.

At the end of May, the text was subject to two – advisory – rejections in the European Parliament’s Agriculture and Fisheries Committees, before a final vote is expected in mid-June in the Environment Committee. The EPP group (right), the first political force in the parliament, is calling for its withdrawal, as well as a moratorium on another text to reduce pesticide use.

“Without nature protection (…) The Green Deal will fail because so many of the measures we decide on depend on nature’s ability to sequester carbon. Dead soil does not capture carbon.Mr. Timmermans recalls, adding: “Without nature, there is no protection from the climate crisis of Europe and the world. »