EU POLITICS: THE GAME IS ON! 🎲

At the time of writing, 3 million people are without power, and 5-7 million have been urged to evacuate. Hurricane Milton, following closely on the heels of Hurricane Helene, made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Thursday. It has been described as one of the most intense hurricanes in recorded history, with winds so powerful that meteorologists have contemplated adding a new category (Category 6) to account for storms of this strength. A meteorologist covering the hurricane’s arrival even broke down on air, visibly shaken by the anticipated catastrophic consequences of record-breaking sea temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico.

PAY ATTENTION: It truly feels like nature is sending us a message: time is running out to get our environmental house in order. With hearings on the horizon, we expect Commissioner-designates to be unwavering in their commitment to tackling the most obvious emergency ever. Together with other green NGOs, we’ve outlined the most pressing questions they need to answer—any lawmakers in need of inspiration need look no further.

🎲 EU POLITICS: THE GAME IS ON!

L’ORDRE DU JOUR: The European Parliament has finally set the schedule for grilling the Commissioner-designates, with hearings to take place from November 4-12. So far, this looks like a political win for the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), as most of their commissioners will face questions early in the process. The most senior commissioners—the Executive Vice-Presidents (EVPs)—will be questioned last on November 12. In the game of politics, the order of hearings matters: going hard after one group’s candidate early could backfire if your candidate appears later. Unsurprisingly, the final schedule left the President of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) notably unhappy as their lead EVP candidate, Ribera, will be questioned last.

PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS: This week, we joined a mighty coalition of 47 businesses and civil society organisations in an open letter to the EU Commissioner-designates with a bold message: “Green the budget now!” The letter calls for a greener EU budget and a successor to the Next Generation EU programme to help fund the transition to a climate-neutral, nature-positive future. Why the fuss? As the signatories point out, without the necessary investment, the EU risks losing its green leadership—and with it, food, water, and energy security. While competitiveness is overrated, we’d love to see Europe leading in the race to net zero.

NOT ANOTHER #MANEL: Are you working on public participation and citizen deliberation? Or just interested in how to prevent a panel discussion from becoming a “manel”? Here’s a tool for you! Designed by Women Engage for a Common Future and developed within our Horizon project REAL DEAL, this free online feminist moderation course will teach you how to foster safer, more inclusive dialogues and become a skilled discussion moderator. You’ll learn about creating safe spaces, addressing polarisation, managing sensitive topics, and improving accessibility—uncovering techniques to redistribute power, encourage diverse participation, and break down barriers to engagement.

🏭 FACTORY FARMS ARE FUELLING A TOXIC CRISIS (AND IT’S WORSE THAN YOU THINK) 

IN DEEP SHIT: Nutrient pollution—a form of water contamination caused by excessive nutrient inputs—is costing the EU billions in environmental damage annually, with poorly managed phosphorus flows as a major culprit. Much of this issue stems from the rapid expansion of intensive animal farming and factory farms. This week, the EEB’s water expert, Sara Johansson, addressed these critical issues at the 5th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference (ESPC5), emphasising the urgent need for effective nutrient management to protect our water resources.  

CHECK THIS OUT:  A powerful article in the EU Observer sheds light on how unsustainable livestock practices fuel this crisis. (We might have pinched their title, too 😋). 

THE SWEETER SMELLING NEWS? Many of the solutions are already there! We recently launched Nenuphar, an innovative Horizon Europe project focusing on developing advanced technical solutions and scalable governance models to combat nutrient pollution. The project is paving the way for more sustainable phosphorus recycling practices, in line with the circular economy.  

BUT BUT BUT! Rules protecting public health and nature are crucial in this growing mess! Existing EU legislation, such as the Water Framework Directive and the Nitrates Directive, must be prioritised. These laws are already in place to tackle nutrient pollution but remain poorly implemented and enforced. Moreover, we are still waiting for the European Commission to release its long-promised Action Plan for Nutrients in Europe (INMAP), which would provide a much-needed roadmap for addressing this widespread problem. 

SYSTEM CHANGE: Tackling nutrient pollution requires more than technical fixes—we need a fundamental shift away from the broken model of industrial farming that benefits only a few, while harming the environment, animal welfare, farmers, and public health. We need truly sustainable food systems, including safe and sustainable levels of animal rearing—from #FactoryToField—and stronger consumption-side policies that ensure broad access to healthy, sustainable diets. 

🖊️ SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT 

FOREVER CHEMICALS: Early last year, a proposal to ban PFAS—a group of highly hazardous chemicals often called “forever chemicals”—was submitted to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) for evaluation. The ban is based on exponentially growing scientific evidence of the serious risks these substances pose to both the environment and human health, especially now that they are found virtually everywhere. Unfortunately, some industry players have been spreading misleading information—both within the ECHA process and publicly—in an effort to undermine the proposal. This FAQ is here to set the record straight and address some of the most common misconceptions that have surfaced since the process began. Stay tuned—there’s definitely more to come!

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Work with us. The work continues, and we often seek new colleagues to join our team. Could you be one of them? Check out our current vacancies on our website. Are you our new (Senior) Policy Officer for Post-Growth Transformations? 

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Join the future. The European Pact for the Future ignites hope and courage, paving the way for new opportunities and ensuring the wellbeing of all. Our accompanying Action Plan provides all the details to get us there. Explore the Pact and Action Plan today, and if you haven’t already, sign up to be part of the movement shaping Europe’s future.

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Don’t stay delulu, deal with the pollulu! We’ve just hit the 50k follower milestone on LinkedIn! This year, we’ve also grown our digital community by joining Instagram and TikTok, one of our latest videos going crazy viral. Stay connected and follow us for the latest green updates and our work across the EU and beyond. Don’t miss out! 

By: Ruby Silk. Special thanks to Alberto Vela, Annick Hus, Ben Snelson and Roi Gomez. Editor: Christian Skrivervik