Brussels, 21 October 2025 – The European Commission’s 2026 Work Programme offers little reassurance that the EU is ready to face the scale of the environmental and social crises unfolding across the continent. 

“The science could not be clearer. Europe is breaching multiple planetary boundaries, and the costs of inaction are mounting. Yet instead of pursuing a smart implementation strategy of urgently needed environmental laws, the Commission continues to chase a false promise of ‘simplification’, deregulation, and blunt withdrawals,” said Patrick ten Brink, EEB Secretary General. “We cannot deregulate our way out of this crisis. True competitiveness depends on smart policies and a credible long-term direction. Lowering standards that protect our health and the planet is a race to the bottom – and it only serves polluters.” 

With few new legislative proposals and a heavy focus on non-legislative “fixes” and omnibus deregulation packages, the 2026 agenda risks missing the moment. Europe’s environment is at a tipping point – as the EEA’s latest assessment, the European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA), the Global Tipping Points report and many others warn – yet political will remains dangerously out of sync with the evidence. 

Despite widespread public support for strong environmental action – from the 200,000 Europeans who joined the “Hands off Nature” campaign to the tens of thousands marching for climate action this autumn – the Commission’s work programme seems more attuned to the loudest business associations in Brussels than to citizens’ calls for change. Also, a majority of companies express support for climate transition plans, sustainability reporting, and due diligence obligations, and call for regulatory stability to preserve a clear, credible long-term direction. 

“With the vast majority of scientists, experts, businesses and citizens calling for action and predictability – who, exactly, are we deregulating for?” 

“The next EU budget must put money where it matters: in resilience, clean industries, and thriving natural systems,” added ten Brink. “Businesses need investment certainty, and citizens need a liveable planet. That means implementing what works – not withdrawing or weakening it. That means rewarding champions, not laggards.” 

The upcoming EU Climate Adaptation Strategy, Ocean Act, and Circular Economy Act could be among the few major agenda items with real potential for 2026. But their success will depend on their direction. Europe must avoid maladaptive, short-term techno fixes and instead focus on restoring nature and reducing resource use as its best defence against climate and environmental risks. 

With COP30 on the horizon, the EEB joins the overwhelming call for immediate and unprecedented action from leaders and policymakers worldwide. 

Yet the Commission’s working programme shows little appetite for nature, climate or energy legislation, offering mainly simplification of existing rules or even worse: withdrawal of important law proposals like the one on EU forest monitoring and a non-legislative electrification plan. Europe’s electrification rate is stuck at 23%, well below the 32% target for 2030, while China has already reached 29%. If the EU wants to stay competitive in the global clean tech race, it needs strong, binding policies that drive real investment.

NOTES 

Cost of Inaction: The Commission’s own data leaves no room for doubt. Failing to implement EU environmental law costs Europe around €180 billion every year, while full compliance would cost €122 billion – delivering net savings of €58 billion. In other words, every €10 invested in protecting people and nature saves €15 in remedial costs. 

ENDS