European Environmental Bureau

🪓 "SIMPLIFICATION" IS BAD FOR BUSINESS It’s been a busy but important week in Brussels. EU leaders kicked the climate can down the road, the Commission unveiled its formal work plans for 2026, and Parliament delivered key votes, including some notable wins for people and planet. At the same time, civil society, the EU Parliament, and even big business are saying no to "simplification" and don't want to be thrown under the omnibus - find out why   All this and much more in today’s edition of New Leaf.   Our newsletter drops every Friday - make sure you’re signed up: https://lnkd.in/ePbXinCn

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲?   Last week we went on a field trip with Recycling Europe to see electronics and vehicles recycling in action!   A circular economy starts with waste prevention at the source - but once products inevitably turn into waste, recycling allows us to recover precious resources and give them a new life.   This is particularly important for vehicles and e-waste, as they contain tons of valuable materials with a high environmental footprint - from steel to precious and rare metals.   A big thank you to DERICHEBOURG Environnement for welcoming us to their plants and sharing their experience with us. #ewaste #automotive #recycling

🥳 The European Parliament just adopted Europe’s first ever soil law! In today’s vote, the European Parliament supported Europe’s #SoilMonitoringLaw - the first of its kind - as negotiated by the EU institutions over the last months. 🌱 Europe’s soils are in crisis, but this law can change that! While not as ambitious as we would have hoped for, it is a crucial first step to address soil degradation in Europe. The adoption of this law reflects the overwhelming support it has received over the last years. In just the past few days, civil society organisations, farmers, businesses, citizens and scientists across Europe have all been calling for its adoption. These messages show that healthy soils matter for the whole of society. 📣 This paves the way for finally addressing soil degradation in Europe. 🤔 What next? Thorough implementation and rigorous enforcement of the law will be key to make this a success.

Europe is unwell 🩺🤒 Poisoned by unchecked pollution, weakened by delayed climate action, and exhausted by short-term thinking, and yet our policymakers are refusing to address the symptoms of inaction. One of the most serious problems neglected? 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗲. An odourless, colourless gas invisible not only to the naked eye, but also clearly to EU policy, methane is not just a major climate problem, it is also a silent public health emergency 🌡️ 😷 We know that prevention is cheaper than treatment, and we know the EU can drive change when it wants, as we’ve seen with sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions 📉 And while the EU takes no action to reduce methane (particularly from the agricultural sector 🐄 ) it is busy trying to sell deregulation as the cure - aka the removal of environmental protections that prevent illness in the first place 😰 ❌  Read more from our expert on Air Quality and Agriculture, Luc Powell in The European Correspondent, link in the comments 🔗👇 #ClimateAction #MethaneMatters #Methane #RulesToProtect #HandsOffNature #Omnibus

🏭 The chemical industry has a profound impact on most of the Earth’s planetary boundaries – the environmental limits that define a “safe operating space” for humanity. Scientists have recently found that at least seven of the nine planetary boundaries have already been breached. In 2022, they confirmed that humanity has exceeded the boundary for “novel entities” – PFAS, plastics, pesticides, and other persistent chemicals that are now ubiquitous in air, water, soils and bodies. But that’s not all. Chemical pollution is closely connected to seven of the nine boundaries. Yes – seven out of nine!    1 - Climate change through energy-intensive processes and fossil-based feedstocks  2 - Ocean acidification via CO₂ emissions  3 - Ozone depletion through the use of halogenated compounds  4 - Disruption of nitrogen and phosphorus cycles through  fertiliser production  5 - Aerosol loading that alters atmospheric chemistry and regional climate  6 - Biodiversity loss through pollution and the release of persistent and toxic substances Want to learn more? 🌿  Read our newly published 𝐅𝐀𝐐 𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲, where we explore: ✅ How the sector can transform to stay within planetary boundaries  ✅ Why EU policy must address decarbonisation, detoxification, and circularity in a holistic manner  ✅ And what a truly sustainable future for Europe’s chemical industry could look like 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eUHRfSQy #ChemicalIndustry #ToxicFreeFuture #PlanetaryBoundaries #Pollution #Sustainability #Decarbonisation #Detoxification #CircularEconomy #EUGreenDeal

🤥 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲 - 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿.   84% of Europeans want farmed animals to be treated better. 1.4 million called to #EndTheCageAge. Animal Welfare Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi agreed: "We don’t only need to, we will do so". But the long-awaited revision is missing from the Commissions 2026 plans...   In Europe, the dominant intensive factory farming model: 🔴 inflicts extreme suffering on billions of sentient animals; 🔴 emits vast amounts of planet-cooking emissions; 🔴 pollutes our water, air and soil; 🔴 drives destruction of precious nature; 🔴 harms farmers and farm workers; 🔴 wrecks public health through disease outbreaks and antimicrobial resistance.   We need a science-based approach that ends needless suffering and allows Europe to maintain its leadership in animal welfare. But we must also ensure farmers are properly supported to make this transition in a fair and sustainable way.   On a more hopeful note, the livestock strategy planned for 2026 is a welcome development. The sector faces major challenges - from climate impacts to economic pressures - and reform is urgently needed to align with broader goals on health, sustainability, and resilience.   The time for action is now. Delays only make the transition harder - for animals, farmers, and the future of our food systems. We expect the European Commission to deliver on promises - and act 🐖🌍💧   Check our recent #NewLeaf on 'Why animals belong on Europe's farmland - just not like this' in the comments ⬇️   📷: Selene Magnolia Gatti / We Animals Image: Pigs on a factory farm in Murcia, Spain, 2024

𝐀 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 – 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 Yesterday at the Environment Council meeting in Luxembourg, following a request of Sweden, ten Member States recalled the European Commission of the need to modernise the #REACH regulation on chemicals – one of the EU’s cornerstone laws protecting health and the environment. At European Environmental Bureau, we welcome this call for a more protective REACH. Over the past two decades, REACH has built the world’s most advanced chemicals knowledge base, led to the removal of hazardous substances from the market, and enabled the EU chemical industry to flourish – it posted the EU's largest trade surplus in Q2 2024 (€59.3 billion). T𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐠𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝. But despite this progress, Europeans are still exposed to toxic chemicals every day – the #PFAS pollution crisis is just one alarming example. To deliver on its primary objective of protecting people and the planet, REACH must be strengthened. The revision of REACH has been stalled for years, and the recent rejection of its impact assessment by the Regulatory Scrutiny Board underscores the false debate over whether the EU should protect businesses or citizens. In truth, strong protections make us more competitive, while short-term gains come at everyone’s expense. 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞: reducing governments’ burdens, simplifying data management, streamlining control processes, and embracing 21st century science can all support innovation and competitiveness– while maintaining safety, predictability, and public trust. #ToxicFreeFuture  

📢 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫: 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐔 Europe’s environmental laws are under attack. A wave of deregulation, supported by disinformation, is threatening our most vital environmental protections, and with it our health and future. 🌿 The #HandsOffNature coalition is commissioning digital media research to understand how deregulation and disinformation narratives spread and recommendations for strategic communications. 🗓 Deadline: 11 November 2025 📍 Deliverables due before February 2026 👉 https://lnkd.in/d9G4FkuA Help us defend Europe’s life-support systems. BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, ClientEarth, WWF European Policy Office #CallForTender #Disinformation #SocialMedia #EUenvironment

Echoing a call by the Czech government and other Member States at the Environment Council yesterday, the EEB warns that cuts proposed in the European Commission’s draft EU 2028–2034 budget would harm both people’s health and the environment. Europe cannot afford to underfund its own life-support systems. Investing in nature means investing in clean water, fresh air, food security and resilience against disasters. 💬 “To quote Commission's very own analysis: Every euro invested in nature restoration can generate long-term economic benefits of €8 to €38.” - Sergiy Moroz, Policy Manager for Nature at the European Environmental Bureau. For more: https://lnkd.in/dPdMU-h8 #restorenature

🚨 BREAKING – European Commission caves in to EU countries’ pressure to weaken ETS2. EU governments worried about high carbon prices are pushing the Commission to allow more emissions allowances into the new ETS2 carbon market for road transport and buildings. But NGOs warn this move would undermine the EU’s climate targets. With just five years left to cut emissions by around 40% in buildings and transport, Europe cannot afford to weaken its new carbon market (a key tool to accelerate the transition in these sectors) before it even begins. The only sensible way to prevent high prices is to cut emissions now, not delay action. We need stronger policies to boost heat pumps, EVs, and public transport, not more pollution permits. And if governments truly worry about citizens, they should redistribute ETS2 revenues through targeted direct payments, not water down climate action. 👉 Read our full reaction in the comments Carbon Market Watch, Wopke Hoekstra