‘Make sustainability the guiding principle of the EU’ is the core message of an open letter from European environmental groups to the German Chancellor and French President, sent after the pair signalled their intention to bring forward proposals for the future of the EU and Eurozone.

The Deutscher Naturschutzring (DNR) and France Nature Environnement (FNE) joined the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) in signing the letter to Chancellor Merkel and President Macron this week.

The EEB is Europe’s largest network of environmental organizations with 141 members in over 30 countries.

The environmental groups are positive about the potential for Franco-German proposals and reiterate civil society’s support for the European project, stating: “today we need the EU more than ever”. However, they make clear that the EU must be more democratic and sustainable in order to fulfil its global responsibilities and deliver for its citizens.

The joint letter urges the leaders’ to ensure their initiative create new impetus for “solving the ongoing ecological crisis and making sustainability the guiding principle for the EU”. It calls for:

• Sustainable development to be at the centre of plans for the future of the EU
• Greater urgency in delivering the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, including 2030 targets of:
  • 65% greenhouse gas emission reductions
  • 45% renewable energy
  • 40% energy savings
• The European budget to be checked against sustainable development goals and the Paris agreement
• A “full and deep” reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
• €1 billion every year for environment and biodiversity protection

The letter is available in English, German and French and can be downloaded below.