As European environment ministers agree on an EU position ahead of the UN biodiversity summit, Germany and other member states are calling for more aggressive cuts in EU funding that would severely risk efforts to protect and restore nature across Europe, the European Environmental Bureau warns.

At today’s Environment Council meeting, European ministers reaffirmed the importance of protecting and restoring nature and the need for Europe to step up its efforts ahead of the 17^th UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP17) [1]. Yet, at the same time, member states are still pushing for further cuts to the EU budget that would deepen funding shortfalls for nature protection and restoration, while maintaining public funding for environmentally harmful subsidies, the majority of which is linked to intensive agricultural activities.

While France calls for more investment in nature across EU policies and financial instruments, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands want to cut the EU budget further, despite already proposed cuts to climate and environmental funding that threaten Europe’s ability to deliver on its commitments to protect and restore nature.

“No minister in Germany, Sweden, or the Netherlands would ever admit to their voters that they are willing to sacrifice clean water, breathable air, and a liveable climate. But that is exactly what these budget cuts will do – locking us into years of pollution and environmental decline while undermining EU’s position in the upcoming negotiations on global progress to protect and restore nature” said Sergiy Moroz, Head of Nature at the European Environmental Bureau.

The warning comes as Europe remains dangerously off track on its environmental and climate objectives, including those under the Convention on Biological Diversity, with already emerging consequences for Europe’s food and disaster resilience and security [2]. According to the 2025 Environmental Implementation Review, there remains an over €18 billion gap in the annual budget to make these goals a reality [3]. Meanwhile, Member States are funneling between €34 billion and €48 billion a year in European taxpayer money into activities that pollute and degrade their own nature instead [4].

Despite these needs, the European Commission has yet to clarify where the necessary public funding will come from, while promoting untested private financing schemes such as nature credits.

The Irish Presidency’s latest compromise proposal would cut the Commission’s proposed Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) budget for the clean transition and decarbonisation by €3.02 billion, while the proposed EU Facility, which is expected to take over some of the functions currently supported by the LIFE programme after 2027, would shrink by €24 billion. The MFF has no dedicated budget line for biodiversity. [5]

This contradicts previous Commission studies that say investing in nature is a smart investment with 38-fold returns, while not doing so has been and will be costing Europe hundreds of billions – not to mention the non-monetary costs. [6]

The EEB calls on EU environment ministers [7] to:

• Ensure adequate financing and administrative capacity for implementation, including by ensuring that the 2028–2034 EU budget allocates at least 50% of spending to climate and environment objectives, with a dedicated sub-target of 10% for biodiversity.
• Reinstate the LIFE funding as a standalone programme for 2028-2034, reversing the Commission’s proposal to discontinue it. Since many national authorities rely on LIFE funding to support the implementation of EU nature legislation, and considering its vast economic impacts, this is essential.

“This is not the time to cut nature out of our budget when our life support is hanging on a thread. If EU governments are serious about ensuring Europe does not face decades of heatwaves, droughts and destroyed crops, they must ensure that the next EU budget gives our environment a realistic chance of surviving,” added Moroz.

ENDS

Notes to editors

[1] Council sets EU position ahead of climate change and biodiversity summits. Full conclusion here.

[2] European Environment Agency, 2025 flagship report on the state of Europe’s environment.

[3] 2025 Environmental Implementation Review

[4] WWF analysis: “Can your money do better?”

[5] The Irish Presidency’s latest compromise proposal would cut the Commission’s proposed MFF for the clean transition and decarbonisation would fall from €23.2 billion to €20.18 billion, while the proposed EU Facility would shrink from €56 billion to €32 billion.

[6] The EU Commission has previously underlined that every single euro invested in restoring degraded ecosystems generates up to €38 in economic returns, while failing to properly apply existing environmental laws is already costing us €180 billion annually, due to higher health and environmental damage costs, and this doesn’t even yet account for legal uncertainty for businesses.

[7] EEB letter to ministers ahead of the 12 October EU Environment Council meeting