{"id":99307,"date":"2019-07-16T17:49:12","date_gmt":"2019-07-16T15:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/?p=99307"},"modified":"2019-10-25T13:56:52","modified_gmt":"2019-10-25T11:56:52","slug":"ursula-von-der-leyen-puts-environment-first-for-eu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/en\/ursula-von-der-leyen-puts-environment-first-for-eu\/","title":{"rendered":"Ursula von der Leyen puts environment first for EU"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ursula von der Leyen h<\/b><\/span>as been elected <\/b><\/span>as European Commission President after winning MEPs\u2019 votes with a bold vision for a greener Europe.<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n

Von der Leyen won the support of parliamentarians with a strong call for climate and environmental action that could transform Europe over the next five years.<\/p>\n

The European Environmental Bureau<\/i><\/span> <\/i>(EEB)<\/i><\/span> is Europe\u2019s largest network of environmental citizens\u2019 groups with <\/i><\/span>150 members in more than 30 countries<\/i><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jeremy Wates, EEB Secretary General said:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThis is a crucial time for the natural world and we welcome the fact that von der Leyen has put the environment first in her plans for the next five years. She has made some big and welcome commitments including to a <\/span>European <\/span>Green Deal, a carbon border tax and a zero-pollution future – and we look forward to seeing more details.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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Before speaking at the European Parliament this morning, <\/span>v<\/span>on der Leyen shared a 24-page document [1] outlining her<\/span> \u2018agenda<\/span> for Europe\u2019. The document listed<\/span> \u201cA<\/span> European Green Deal\u201d as the first of six priorities.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

While much of the content of von der Leyen\u2019s political agenda has been welcomed by green groups, questions remain about the details of some of her proposals and the extent of her commitment to others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Wates added:<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201c<\/span>While mentioning the need for sustainable food and biodiversity standards in agriculture policy, von der Leyen has failed to mention the need for a radical reform of the <\/span>EU\u2019s \u20ac60bn Common Agricultural Policy <\/span>to reverse its highly damaging impact on nature.<\/span> Von der Leyen\u2019s <\/span>failure <\/span>to<\/span> unequivocally<\/span> commit to supporting at least <\/span>55% cuts in <\/span>greenhouse gas <\/span>emissions by 2030 <\/span>leaves her falling <\/span>short of what the Parliament has already agreed and even further short of what<\/span> climate science demands<\/span>. S<\/span>he has failed to put the sustainable development goals at the heart of all the EU does.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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Von der Leyen\u2019s political guidelines document, titled<\/span> \u2018A<\/span> Union that strives for more: My agenda for Europe\u2019 includes various commitments on climate action including<\/span><\/span>:<\/p>\n