{"id":118702,"date":"2025-09-10T17:32:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T15:32:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/?p=118702"},"modified":"2025-09-10T17:32:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T15:32:41","slug":"state-of-delusion-von-der-leyen-trades-eus-green-deal-legacy-for-deregulation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/en_gb\/state-of-delusion-von-der-leyen-trades-eus-green-deal-legacy-for-deregulation\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cState of delusion\u201d: von der Leyen trades EU\u2019s Green Deal legacy for deregulation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen struck strong notes on unity, freedom, democracy and the rule of law in today\u2019s State of the Union. But despite invoking \u201cthe power of the Green Deal\u201d and the need to \u201cstay on course\u201d, her relentless deregulation drive serving mainly short-term\u00a0industry interests exposes a hollow approach to the climate, nature and pollution crises.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Behind the rhetoric of \u201csimplification\u201d for \u201ccompetitiveness\u201d lies a deregulatory agenda: a tsunami of Omnibus packages to cut rules for certain businesses, hailed as an \u20ac8 billion saving. Yet the Commission\u2019s own review shows that failing to implement existing EU environmental law already costs \u20ac180 billion every year.<\/p>\n

This deregulation push comes with no evidence of benefits for society or the economy \u2013 and directly contradicts the International Court of Justice\u2019s recent opinion that climate obligations are not aspirational but binding, substantive and enforceable. States have a duty to prevent environmental harm, cooperate internationally, and uphold fundamental rights as climate risks escalate.<\/p>\n

We acknowledge positive signals on social justice, the Circular Economy Act, affordable housing, stronger power grids, action on disinformation and democratic safeguards. But these steps are overshadowed by a deregulatory agenda that strikes at the heart of the Green Deal \u2013 compounded by the lack of dedicated funding for environmental action in the proposed MFF.<\/p>\n

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\u201cToday\u2019s speech was not a State of the Union – it was a state of delusion about the triple climate, nature and pollution crisis, and the solutions needed,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0said\u00a0Patrick ten Brink, Secretary General of the European Environmental Bureau.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cPresident von der Leyen invoked the power of the European Green Deal, yet put corporate wish-lists ahead of people and planet. She spoke of saving the EU, yet 2025 has so far been about dismantling the very environmental acquis that makes Europe strong and resilient. The true cost of inaction – both human and economic – far outweighs the supposed savings trumpeted today, and will ultimately undermine Europe’s competitiveness and stability. Believing we can deregulate our way out of the climate, pollution and nature crises is a dangerous illusion that threatens Europe\u2019s security and erodes trust in the Union.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

By unravelling the EU\u2019s common rules in the name of competitiveness, the Commission risks fuelling polarisation, triggering a race to the bottom with China and the US, and undermining the very foundations of the European project.<\/p>\n

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– ENDS –<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Notes for\u00a0editors<\/strong><\/p>\n