The Environment Committee of the European Parliament wants the European Union to stick to the Climate Plan and the Green Deal of the Von der Leyen Commission. On Tuesday, the committee debated with Environment Commissioner Frans Timmermans about a new timeline for the presentation of these new plans.
A delay is necessary because the European Union must reassess all plans due to the coronavirus crisis. And because work is also underway on a Europe-wide corona recovery plan worth hundreds of billions, all European budgets need to be erased and rewritten.
Von der Leyen and Timmermans have already indicated in recent weeks that they want to maintain their extensive and impactful Climate Policy and the development of a sustainable economy. However, it is unclear whether the Green Deal can remain fully intact and whether there is sufficient funding. Thus, it also remains uncertain for the time being how drastically the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will be cut back.
Timmermans said the European Green Deal is not a luxury but essential to overcome the coronavirus crisis. Pan-European answers are needed, he said. A green recovery is not only feasible but also necessary, as Europe would otherwise lose twice: first by investing in recovery of the old economy and then again to make the economy green and sustainable.
Although Members of the European Parliament agreed that tackling the health crisis is the first priority, many MEPs also emphasized the need to stick to important elements of the European Green Deal. In response to questions from Bas Eickhout (GroenLinks) about the delay of the sustainable food strategy “farm-to-fork” and the EU biodiversity strategy, Commissioner Timmermans confirmed that the presentation would only be postponed by a few weeks, not by several months. Others, however, anticipate a delay of possibly up to two years.
Within the European Parliament, an informal alliance has recently emerged following an earlier call by 12 EU Environment Ministers for a ‘green recovery’ from the COVID-19 pandemic. The “alliance for green recovery” was launched last week on the initiative of Pascal Canfin, a French centrist MEP who is chair of the EP Environment Committee. In addition to 79 MEPs from across the political spectrum, the alliance also brings together societal groups including 37 CEOs, 28 business associations, the European Trade Union Confederation, 7 NGOs and 6 think tanks.
A dozen EU countries have signed a letter requesting the European Commission to follow the Green Deal as a roadmap for economic restart after the coronavirus crisis. The appeal was initiated by Denmark and received support from, among others, Spain and Austria, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. In the letter, the countries warn against the danger of short-term solutions ‘that lock Europe into an economy dependent on fossil fuels’.