{"id":102679,"date":"2020-10-23T15:59:46","date_gmt":"2020-10-23T13:59:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/?p=102679"},"modified":"2020-10-29T09:20:19","modified_gmt":"2020-10-29T08:20:19","slug":"german-eu-presidencys-midterm-environmental-report-card","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/en\/german-eu-presidencys-midterm-environmental-report-card\/","title":{"rendered":"Updated: Mid-term environmental report card for German EU presidency"},"content":{"rendered":"

The EEB has released its mid-term<\/span><\/span>\u00a0scorecard for\u00a0<\/span><\/span>t<\/span><\/span>he German presidency of the European Union<\/span><\/span>. Germany<\/span><\/span>\u00a0has<\/span><\/span>\u00a0so far<\/span><\/span>\u00a0prioritised the environment<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>performed well on biodiversity and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>made some progress<\/span><\/span>\u00a0on<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>climate, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. It performed poorly on\u00a0<\/span><\/span>agricultural reform and<\/span><\/span>\u00a0curbing fossil fuels.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

At the start of the German presidency of the European Union (July-December 2020), the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) released 10 demands<\/a> which form the basis for the Green Tests<\/a> to evaluate the presidency\u2019s environmental performance.<\/p>\n

The EEB is Europe\u2019s largest network of environmental organisations.<\/p>\n

The 10 asks were:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Drive a just transition to a sustainable and resilient Europe<\/li>\n
  2. Channel the EU\u2019s Recovery Package and budget towards a green transition<\/li>\n
  3. Tackle the climate emergency<\/li>\n
  4. Reverse the dramatic loss of biodiversity on land and water<\/li>\n
  5. Initiate a transition toward sustainable food supply chains and agriculture<\/li>\n
  6. Promote a shift towards zero pollution<\/li>\n
  7. Drive a new industrial revolution (the circular economy, digitalisation and artificial intelligence)<\/li>\n
  8. Set in motion an ambitious chemicals strategy for sustainability<\/li>\n
  9. Enhance greater democratic accountability and rule of law relating to environmental issues<\/li>\n
  10. Promote European solidarity, wellbeing and social and environmental justice<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Midterm scorecard<\/strong><\/h4>\n

    To gauge progress to date, the EEB is releasing its midterm evaluation of the presidency\u2019s performance to date.<\/p>\n

    Patrick ten Brink<\/strong>, the EEB\u2019s director of EU policy, said:<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe German presidency of the EU has engaged seriously with the twin crises of biodiversity<\/a> and climate, despite having to deal with the fallout of the COVID-19 crisis, but political realities and vested interests put the brakes on the needed transformative agenda, tarnishing the promise of the European Green Deal,\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cUnfortunately, the new proposed emissions targets are lower than what science demands to avert climate catastrophe and efforts to preserve biodiversity are being undermined by failure to reform the Common Agricultural Policy.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    The German presidency has achieved two major successes:<\/p>\n