Happy international women’s day! If you’re feeling inspired, why not join our feminist citizens’ deliberation event in Brussels and have your say in how our green and fair shared future should look? For a look at the mechanics of a citizens’ deliberation check out this article in which Jessica den Outer, UN expert on the rights of nature, recounts her experience moderator of February’s event.
SABOTAGING THE DEAL?🧨
IT’S HAPPENING: After the failed attempt to kill the Nature Restoration Law, the conservative side of the EU Parliament has their sights set on the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). Since the EU Council, Parliament and Commission all agreed on a final deal already in November (!), the final vote by the EU Parliament should be just the usual formality. However, the vote taking place on Tuesday is being hijacked and might risk throwing the IED into post-election limbo. Not the responsible co-legislator behaviour we would expect from the EU Parliament.
NOT WORTH IT: Conservative lawmakers argue that the deal they already agreed to—that already excludes cattle farming—still covers too many pigs and poultry farms… Yet, the proposed changes are not only another dilution to already watered down rules; they wouldn’t even represent a true win for livestock farmers. Clearly, this is yet another ploy to put political agendas ahead of what truly matters—championing #cleanindustry. Together with industry groups and other civil society organisations we urged policymakers to cut through the smoke and keep the deal as is.
WRAPPED UP: We finally have a deal on Europe’s new packaging regulation. Late on Monday, negotiators from the EU Council and the EU Parliament struck a deal to address the rampant packaging waste crisis. The new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation—albeit heavily watered down from the EU Commission’s original proposal—comes after 4 years of preparatory work and more than 15 months of negotiations marked by unprecedented levels of lobbying. Now it is up to the three EU institutions to waste no further time to adopt this key regulation before the EU elections in June.
GLOBAL UPDATE🌎
NOT TOO BAD: The world’s biggest environmental meeting, the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), just wrapped up its latest session. While things got a little tense at times (think international politics), they still managed to agree on important stuff.
(ALMOST) NAILED IT: Climate justice and a global “circular economy” (think no waste!) didn’t get the green light this time, but other issues like managing hazardous chemicals and protecting water resources got a thumbs up. This shows that even when things get bumpy, countries can still work together on environmental issues.
DIGGING DEEPER: Raw materials, like the stuff that makes your phone, were also a hot topic. The EEB, along with some friends, pushed for responsible mining and using resources smarter. While the new agreement on metals and minerals wasn’t everything we hoped for, it shows that countries need to team up to tackle the environmental and social impacts of digging things up.
OUR PART: UNEA isn’t just about high level meetings. The EEB, along with other groups, organised a big gathering for environmental organisations from around the world. We shared ideas, heard from important decision-makers, and even put together a joint statement highlighting our concerns and recommendations.
HOSTILE CLIMATE FOR PROTESTORS
CONCERN FOR PEACEFUL PROTEST… UN Special Rapporteur for the protection of environmental defenders, Micheal Forst, sounds the alarm once again regarding the repression of climate activists, which the Rapporteur describes as a major threat to democracy and human rights. The evidence gathered is from the UK, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. All countries, including Western-European ones, should be focusing on urgently cutting emissions to meet the Paris Agreement’s goals, not arresting peaceful protestors. The EEB agrees!
🎧 HEADPHONES ON! Our very own Cosimo Tansini joins Sam Morgan’s podcast to discuss the latest attempts to revive EU’s nuclear industry.
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APPLY NOW: We have several openings, so if YOU are looking for a great new opportunity, apply now! We are currently on the lookout for a Policy Assistant for Water and for a (Senior) Policy Officer for Mercury.
Check out our website for more information about the roles and the application process.
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