Europe is facing an unprecedented push to roll back environmental and social protections; rules that took decades to build and safeguard our health, nature, and democracy. Behind closed doors, the EU Commission is considering sweeping ‘simplification’ measures that threaten to dismantle laws essential to clean air, safe water, and a liveable climate. Civil society cannot stay silent. Every voice counts. This short guide outlines practical steps you can take immediately to defend Europe’s environmental and social standards.
💥 What you can do – right now
1. Speak directly to policymakers this week
If you have access to policymakers – in the Commission, Parliament, or national ministries – use it now.
Tell them clearly: no Omnibus, no deregulation, no dismantling of laws that protect people and nature.
Your voice inside the system matters more than ever.
2. Break the silence: share what’s happening
Most Europeans have no idea how far this deregulation push has already gone.
Talk about it with colleagues, partners, journalists, and national networks.
Sunlight is pressure – and pressure is the only thing that will stop this.
3. Make your organisation’s stance visible
If your organisation can speak publicly, now is the moment.
Reaffirm that strong environmental and social laws are not obstacles – they are Europe’s competitive advantage and democratic backbone.
A visible, united civil society makes it harder for decision-makers to dismantle decades of progress.
4. Mobilise as an individual: join the movement
If you’re reading this as an individual, you are not powerless.
Join an organisation – whether an EEB member group in your country or another civil society organisation defending the environment, democracy and public health.
Collective action is what built Europe’s environmental protections in the first place – and it is what will save them now.