🤯 STATE OF DELULU

Geez! European politics is buzzing again. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Every political course kicks off with the ritual State of the Union (SOTEU) speech by the President of the Commission. Technically, it’s in Strasbourg (spiritually, it’s in Brussels), and it’s where the President tries to set the tone for the next chapter. Ursula von der Leyen came armed with a meticulously scripted performance, aware of the shaky ground she’s standing on geopolitically and domestically. Her mission: project confidence and assertiveness.

She did what everyone expected: ticked the buzzword boxes – security, industry, “clean” (notice the careful dodge of the green, ecological or environmental framing). High notes on unity, democracy, and social pillars? Check. A toast to “the power of the Green Deal” and the need to “stay on course”? Check.

But this newsletter unpacks what Ursula said, and – maybe more importantly – what she didn’t say about Europe’s triple crises on climate, nature, and pollution. Spoiler: behind the rhetoric, the real headline was deregulation. We also bring you the latest from the frontlines of Brussels’ policy battles: nature, circularity, just transition, and more.

Take a seat, pour yourself a cup of tea – and buy us a coffee, if you please – it’s going to be a ride 🍵

(Message from a millennial to non-Gen Z readers: “Delulu” = delusional. You’re welcome.)

⬇️ THE DELUSION HIGHLIGHTS ⬇️

🌑 DEREGULATION ECLIPSE

Yes, Ursula nodded at social justice, affordable housing, disinformation and democracy. But those rays of light were eclipsed by a deregulatory agenda striking at the heart of the Green Deal.

She boasted that EU “simplification” packages would save businesses €8 billion. Great that someone’s crunching numbers – but where exactly are these ‘savings’ coming from? Paperwork? Environmental safeguards? Health standards? Because if saving money comes at the cost of clean air, healthy food, and climate stability, that’s not simplification – that’s subtraction. On numbers: the Commission’s own review shows failing to implement EU environmental laws already costs society €180 billion a year.

“Less red tape” may sound fair, and we don’t oppose it, but the fine print tells a different story: the Commission is stripping away reporting and enforcement tools – the very instruments that protect citizens’ health, climate, and rights. In Eurocrat speak: only what gets measured gets done.

And no, deregulation is not a synonym for competitiveness. The Draghi report spelled it out: what Europe really needs is massive public investment in green and social infrastructure. Subsidies and red-tape cutting are a flawed strategy when a million manufacturing jobs vanished in the last decade despite state aid. Protecting Europe’s productive fabric means a just, well-funded, and planned transition – not prioritising corporate wish lists.

⚡️ CLIMATE: NEUTRALITY OR DISTRACTION?

Von der Leyen defended a 2040 climate target and carbon markets as tools for competitiveness. But her rhetoric has been diluted: suddenly it’s all about “low-carbon” instead of renewables, with zero mention of energy efficiency or savings. Spoiler: you don’t get to climate neutrality without them. Meanwhile, the 2035 combustion car ban looks set to be watered down in favour of “technological neutrality,” a win for German and Italian carmakers clinging to synthetic fuels – a shiny distraction from the real task: scaling up electrification and renewables.

🌿 NATURE AND POLLUTION: OUT OF SIGHT

Nature was almost absent, pollution completely so. This silence comes as the EU is off-track on all its 2030 biodiversity targets, citizens are demanding stronger laws, and health experts warn of pollution’s deadly toll. Chemical pollution is already fuelling disease and premature death, yet instead of strengthening protections, the Commission’s focus is on cutting “overlaps and complexity.” Europe doesn’t need easier marketing of harmful substances – it needs faster bans and investment in safe alternatives.

Friendly reminder: pretending these crises don’t exist won’t make them go away.

🚜 AGRICULTURE: THE FORGOTTEN FIELD

Von der Leyen called for “fair competition” for farmers – but ignored those already leading the transition to sustainable farming. Her post-2027 farm policy proposal fails to ring-fence even a single euro for the green transition, while continuing to bankroll polluting practices. And once again, food systems were reduced to “buying European,” with no mention of diets – despite their massive impact on health and the planet.

🔃 CIRCULARITY: MORE THAN A BUZZWORD

Yes, Von der Leyen name-dropped a Circular Economy Act – but only as a way to secure raw materials for industry under a “made in the EU” banner. Circularity is about rethinking extraction and use, not fuelling an ever-growing engine. Addressing only heavy industry while ignoring consumer goods shows just how shallow this vision still is.

💸 DEFENCE? FUNDING WAR, NOT RESILIENCE

Von der Leyen’s “Readiness 2030” strategy pushes for higher defence spending. But 78% of EU military procurement already comes from outside the bloc – 63% from the US alone. Instead of deepening fossil fuel and weapon dependency on the US, we need transparency and democracy about where public money goes. We also need a broad debate about security priorities: tackling climate change, the cost-of-living crisis, resilient infrastructure, and the rule of law.

⚠️ THE COST OF INACTION

“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,” said our Secretary General, Patrick ten Brink.

Deregulation won’t deliver competitiveness. Investment, justice, and bold environmental action will. We will never get tired of repeating it and conducting all the reality checks that EU decision-makers need.

🏛 VOTES IN THE EU BUBBLE

The first Strasbourg plenary after summer brought votes on food waste, textiles, vehicles and farming. Spoiler: plenty of missed opportunities.

🚗 CARS – Parliament caved to automotive industry pressure, weakening proposals meant to boost circularity and reduce environmental impacts across the whole lifecycle of cars. Notably, MEPs did not address unsustainable material use, ignoring the need for fewer and smaller vehicles; they prioritised recycling instead of more effective strategies like durability, reuse, and repair; and failed to hold producers accountable for used vehicles exported beyond the EU.

🥖 FOOD WASTE – For the first time, the EU will have binding food waste reduction targets. This is great news, but the targets are nowhere near the commitment to halve waste across the supply chain, missing a chance to cut emissions and boost food security.

👗 TEXTILES – Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes will finally hold brands accountable and support municipalities and the second-hand sector, facing a flood of discarded clothes. Yet, effective EPR schemes must also address overproduction and provide support to non-EU countries like Ghana and Kenya, which are heavily affected by EU used clothing exports.

🚜 FARM POLICY – Parliament’s vote this week mirrors the Commission’s July proposal: a race to the bottom. Funds stripped from the green transition, rewards for polluting practices. Europe deserves better. Read our press release for more details.

🇩🇰🌾 DANISH LESSONS ON AGRICULTURE

CIVIL SOCIETY AT THE TABLE – Dialogue, not polarisation, creates results. At this week’s Informal Agriculture Council in Copenhagen, civil society (yes, us!) had a seat at the table – hear from our Secretary General, Patrick ten Brink, ahead of the meeting.

GREEN TRIPARTITE AGREEMENT – Creating space for all stakeholders to speak and be heard isn’t new for Denmark. Last year, the country brought together farmers, industry, and environmental groups to tackle climate and environmental challenges through their historic Green Tripartite Agreement (read more on this from our member Green Transition Denmark). But unlike EU policymakers, who are failing to heed the recommendations from the rare and powerful consensus they themselves orchestrated (see last week’s newsletter), Denmark announced this week it is making progress in the restoration of drained carbon-rich peatlands. Take notes, Brussels.

⚔️ FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHTS

‘HANDS-OFF NATURE’ TSUNAMI – Despite Von der Leyen’s call to “meet European Green Deal’s climate and environmental goals … and step up action on resilience and adaptation”, her speech barely acknowledged nature and water crisis, only mentioning nature-based solutions once in sixty minutes. This silence follows recent threats to roll back crucial EU budgets for nature, highlighting that not only is there no funding, but also no space for nature in the EU’s agenda. This directly contrasts with the flood of citizen responses over the last seven days calling for more and stronger environmental laws.

HAT’S OFF – We heard it smashed the record for EU consultations by far. And it’s because of our joint campaign – EEB, BirdLife, WWF, and ClientEarth – where almost 200.000 people clearly said #HandsOffNature.

FOREVER CHEMICALS IN FISH – A new EEB report reveals shocking levels of PFAS (toxic “forever chemicals”) contamination in wild fish across Europe. Samples from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Sweden show that most fish tested contained PFOS far above safety limits – in some cases over 10,000 times higher. In Sweden, 24% of samples exceeded proposed limits by 500x or more; in France, 19%; in Austria and Spain, 15–17%. While the EU has suggested stronger standards, governments are stalling, even as more than half of Europe’s rivers and nearly all coastal waters already breach safe thresholds. This is a wake-up call for urgent action to protect nature, seafood safety, and public health. Encouragingly, the report is already making waves in the press, especially in Italy and Spain!

ETS2 UNDER ATTACK – Europe’s new carbon market for heating and road transport (ETS2) hasn’t even started yet – and already, 16 countries want to poke holes in it. In essence, they want to loosen the rules so more pollution permits can flood the market to avoid high prices. That’s a dangerous shortcut. High prices reflect high emissions. The answer isn’t to give polluters more room, but to cut emissions faster and protect households with the billions in ETS2 revenues. That means banning gas boilers, ending fossil fuel subsidies, and channelling direct payments to families most affected. Weakening ETS2 now is borrowing trouble for the future. Read our letter and explainer.

PORTUGAL UNDERMINES DEMOCRACY – The Portuguese Environment Agency has brushed off a UN ruling that found it breached the Aarhus Convention by denying communities access to information on what could become Europe’s largest lithium mine in Covas do Barroso – a scandal-ridden project that already toppled a government. Dismissing this as a “divergent interpretation” trample on environmental rights, undermines a treaty Portugal freely signed, and threatens the credibility of international law. Together with Unidos em Defesa de Covas do Barroso, we demand the annulment of the unlawful Environmental Impact Statement, a full restart of the process, and an EU rethink of the project’s strategic status.

🔴 JUSTICE KNOWS NO BORDERS

RED LINE FOR G@ZA – Protecting the environment cannot be separated from the fight for global justice. That’s why the EEB joined 150+ organisations in supporting the Red Line for G@za, alongside members BBL and CATAPA. More than 110,000 people marched the streets of Brussels to demand an end to genocide and accountability for those responsible.

ACTION COMES PAINFULLY LATE – far too late for the lives already lost – but we welcome von der Leyen’s State of the Union pledge to impose sanctions on Israel’s leadership and freeze EU funding. We also strongly support the European Parliament’s resolution calling to suspend the trade pillar of the EU–Israel Association Agreement, halt all arms transfers to Israel, and back the International Criminal Court’s warrant orders.

Our message to the Commission and Member States is clear: turn words into action.

NEXT BIG CLIMATE MARCH – Mark your calendars: 5 October, Brussels. The Belgian Climate Coalition – led by our members BBL and Canopea – is organising what could be Europe’s next big climate march. The call is broad – for climate action, clean air, biodiversity, and equality. Momentum is building; now we need to turn it European. People are coming back to the streets, demanding action. Let’s make sure they’re heard.

🧠✨ DOPAMINE HIT

As ever, here are a few slightly happier updates to get your weekend off to a perky start:

• We have done it before. How not to lose hope in the fight against ecological disaster. Read more here.
• How a group of students in the Pacific islands reshaped global climate law. Read more here
• EU to slash food and fast fashion waste. Read more here

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By: Alberto Vela. Special thanks to the EEB’s editorial team: Roi Gomez, Ruby Silk and Ben Snelson. Editor: Christian Skrivervik.