European Union (EU) member states have recently shown their support for nuclear energy and a weakening of biodiversity protection laws, marking a growing resistance against Brussels’ green agenda.
After months of pressure from France to gain recognition for its nuclear industry, EU ambassadors approved a declaration on Friday that equates “other non-fossil” energy sources with renewables in efforts to decarbonize.
Initially, Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg opposed the recognition of “low carbon” energy sources like nuclear in the EU’s renewable energy regulations due to concerns that it would divert investment away from wind and solar power options. However, France’s threat to block the EU’s renewable energy targets led to the European Commission proposing an additional declaration acknowledging the role of nuclear, which Germany ultimately supported.
The declaration states that the commission recognizes that “other sources of fossil-free energy than renewable energy contribute to reaching climate neutrality by 2050 for member states who decide to rely on such sources of energy.”
Additionally, France and Germany were part of the majority that supported significant revisions to the EU’s flagship law for restoring damaged ecosystems, allowing more flexibility for national governments in implementing the reforms.
The Nature Restoration Law, initially designed by the commission to protect and restore degraded landscapes in Europe due to pollution or intensive agriculture, should also help the EU fulfill its commitment from the COP15 biodiversity conference to restore and conserve 30% of the world’s ecosystems.
The commission’s original proposal of restoring 30% of six different habitat types by 2030, including wetlands and forests in poor condition, has been revised to a target of 30% across all ecosystems. This revision accommodates densely populated countries like the Netherlands, relieving them from the obligation to prevent the deterioration of healthy habitats. Instead, they are encouraged to implement necessary measures.
This proposal has sparked controversy in the European Parliament, leading to the postponement of a crucial vote on the law due to the overwhelming number of proposed amendments. Conservative politicians argue against the regulation, claiming it would raise food prices and increase costs for farmers and fishermen. Political groups are now vying for attention ahead of the upcoming European elections.
Tensions surrounding the vote escalated to the point where the European People’s Party (EPP), the largest political group in the parliament and the party of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, accused the commission of pressuring MEPs to support the law. In response, liberal and socialist MEPs on the environment committee accused the EPP of employing similar tactics by threatening to exclude lawmakers who voted in favor of the proposal from the group’s next election slate.
Pascal Canfin, a French liberal and chair of the parliament’s environment committee, warned that rejecting the law would mark the first failure of the EU’s flagship Green Deal climate laws. “It’s a clear signal that the wide consensus we had [on climate laws] is weakening, at least,” he stated.
The parliamentary committee’s voting will conclude on June 27th. Ministers are expected to endorse the EU member states’ position on Tuesday, although several diplomats anticipate a tight vote.
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