{"id":120524,"date":"2026-07-02T22:11:50","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T20:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/?p=120524"},"modified":"2026-07-02T22:11:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T20:11:50","slug":"from-heatwaves-to-deregulation-the-irish-presidency-must-put-europe-back-on-track","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/en\/from-heatwaves-to-deregulation-the-irish-presidency-must-put-europe-back-on-track\/","title":{"rendered":"From heatwaves to deregulation: the Irish Presidency must put Europe back on track"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Ireland takes the helm of the Council of the EU, a new EEB memorandum calls on Dublin to shift Europe from short-term deregulation to long-term resilience.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

From geopolitical shocks to record-breaking heatwaves and continued efforts to weaken environmental safeguards, the Irish Presidency begins at a moment when the gap between Europe’s environmental reality and its political direction has rarely been more stark.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Brussels, 1 July 2026<\/b> \u2013 As Ireland prepares to assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) is calling on the incoming Presidency to steer Europe away from short-term deregulation and towards policies that tackle the root causes of the climate and environmental crises while strengthening Europe\u00b4s resilience to their already unfolding impacts.<\/span><\/p>\n

The call comes as Europe experiences its second major heatwave of 2026, with record temperatures once again exposing the growing human, environmental and economic costs of the climate crisis. Yet despite increasingly stark scientific warnings, political momentum has continued to favour dismantling environmental safeguards rather than accelerating their implementation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, the EEB publishes its <\/span>Memorandum for the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union<\/b>, setting out priorities for the next six months, alongside its <\/span>10 Green Tests<\/b> assessing the outgoing Cypriot Presidency.<\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>The science predicted this future, and it is arriving exactly as expected,<\/span><\/i>” said <\/span>Faustine Bas-Defossez, Policy Director at the EEB<\/b>. “<\/span>Every heatwave reminds us that Europe cannot adapt its way out of a crisis it continues to make worse. Our resilience depends on preventing further climate, biodiversity and pollution damage just as much as preparing for the impacts already unfolding. That means investing in nature, climate action and public health \u2013 and implementing, not dismantling, the laws designed to protect people and shield us from climate impacts.”<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Irish Presidency begins at a pivotal moment for the European Union. Alongside continued geopolitical instability, the next six months will shape negotiations on the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the future of the LIFE programme, the Common Agricultural Policy, and several legislative proposals and omnibus packages that could significantly alter the EU’s environmental acquis, including health, biodiversity and water protections.<\/span><\/p>\n

The EEB warns that Europe’s long-term security and prosperity depend not on deregulation, but on addressing the structural risks posed by climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Persistent failures to implement existing environmental legislation already cost the EU an estimated \u20ac180 billion every year while exposing citizens to preventable health risks and environmental damage.<\/span><\/p>\n

The EEB is calling on the Irish Presidency to have political courage and leadership to:<\/span><\/p>\n