Launched in 2019 by a communication from the European Commission, the European Green Deal covers several environmental objectives, with the aim to make the EU climate neutral by 2050.
As the current European Commission has started the last full year of its mandate, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union are trying to reach agreement on a multitude of proposals, translating the Green Deal into a concrete set of laws – beyond the already binding Climate Law and the eighth Environment Action Programme – while trying to possibly improve the uneven progress among areas covered by the Green Deal.
Some key topics have been missing or are unlikely to be agreed upon in the current Green Deal by the time of the next European Commission elections, such as the circular economy, chemical regulations and the “blue agenda”. The EU has focused so far extensively on climate and energy policies (e.g. “Fit for 55” and REPowerEU) but not as much on food and biodiversity – an area which has, however, gained momentum after the Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP15 and thanks to the negotiations for a proposed EU Nature Restoration Law.
Moreover, the next mandate will see the definition of the next Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF, post-2027), the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform, and the Common Fisheries Policies (CFP) reform. Clearly, one of the key challenges for the next European Commission will be the effective translation of previously agreed Green Deal policies into national legislation. The European Commission, as guardian of the EU treaties, will have to assess the implementation of the Green Deal policies on the ground.
This session will paint a picture of the Green Deal as it currently stands. Discussion will cover the numerous ongoing negotiations on Green Deal files in the legislative procedure, as well as the impact of the war in Ukraine and subsequent increases in energy prices. The panel also will consider some of those areas that are most likely to remain a priority for the next European Commission and will dig into the key trends that will influence the implementation of the Green Deal at national and European levels beyond 2024, including barriers and opportunities.
Moderator and presentation: Martijn Pakker, Head of Strategic Relations, Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) – “European Green Deal Barometer: the voice of sustainability experts on the EGD implementation”
Scene-setting presentations:
Luc Bas, Regional Vice Chair, Europe, Commission for Environmental, Economic and Social Policy, IUCN – Main challenges to advancing towards an ambitious European Green Deal beyond 2024
Inputs by think tanks/research institutes:
Camilla Bausch, Director, Ecologic Institute
Mats Engström, Senior Adviser at the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies (SIEPS) – 2023 – a crucial year for the Green Deal with Sweden and Spain at the helm
Reactions:
Anja Gassner, Senior Scientist Advisor, World Agroforestry , Global Landscape Forum – Making the Green Deal an effective tool for all – a perspective from international cooperation
Lasse Miettinen, Director, Sustainability Solutions, Sitra – Natural capital and the circular economy: the EU as a driving force for ecological reconstruction
Eija Hietavuo, Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Tetra Pak – What will be the role for industries for the continuity of the Green Deal?
Closing: Ioli Christopoulou, Co-founder and Policy Director, The Green Tank
Full programme available here.
Register here.
