Dear Reader,
The debate over Greenland cannot be understood in isolation. When the United States frames Greenland as a “national security priority”, it draws on a familiar playbook, one that Europe has seen repeteadly in Latin America, and most clearly in Venezuela. For decades, Venezuela has been treated less as a sovereign country than as a repository of resources. Its oil reserves, among the largest in the world, have been used to justify sanctions, regime-change operations, covert destabilisation and repeated violations of international law.
In this edition, we take a look at:
- ⚔️ Brussels’ big battles this year
- 📉 Our take on the EU–Mercosur trade deal
- 👕 Spotted: Shein in town and our fight against ultra-fast fashion
- 🚰 PFAS and drinking water: a small but sweet win
- ⛏️ The brutal politics of resource control, from Caracas to Nuuk
Before we start, a sobering reminder: Earth Overshoot Day has already passed… for the richest 1% of the planet. Oxfam shows the super-rich burned through their entire 2026 carbon budget in just ten days. Mark “Pollutocrat Day” in your calendar next time someone argues that taxing extreme wealth is unreasonable. Grab a coffee (or buy us one☕), strap in, and let’s begin.
🍵 WHAT’S COOKING IN BRUSSELS FOR 2026?
If 2025 was about positioning, 2026 is about delivery. The EU Green Deal’s legacy files are hitting the legislative (plant-based) meat grinder, promising drama, surprises, and the occasional wins.
🏭 Industrial policy is back – On 29 January, the EU Commission unveils the Industrial Accelerator Act, now suspiciously stripped of the word “decarbonisation.” The goal: create clean lead markets in key sectors (eyes on steel). Will it back Europe’s green frontrunners or bail out fossil-heavy laggards? Stay tuned, this was already one of the most lobbied files last month.
🛒 Buy European… but make it green. This is a hot topic in Brussels. With the Public Procurement Directive up for revision this year – covering a whopping 14% of EU GDP – the EU could hardwire “buy European” into public spending. We’ll push for taxpayers’ money to fund carbon-neutral, toxic-free products, not business-as-usual pollution.
🔃 Circular economy: less talk, more targets – The Circular Economy Act could be a game-changer for a resource-hungry, import-dependent EU. Expect industry pressure to water down ambition. For us, binding targets for reduction, reuse, and recycling are the real test.
🌾 CAP: Big budget, low bar – The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the EU’s biggest spending programme, with huge implications for nature, pollution and the climate. The Commission’s proposal makes timid moves toward fairer subsidies, while green conditions have been shredded in the name of “simplification”, making things more complicated. Billions are on the table; green ambition is not, as the Council and the EU Parliament shape their positions in early 2026. Here is our take.
☣️ Chemicals: detox or denial? Europe is unwell, and chemical pollution is a huge contributing factor. 2026 is about delivery: an industry action plan, a robust REACH revision, and putting people’s health above profits. By year’s end, the EU Chemicals Agency will issue its opinion on a universal PFAS (aka ‘forever chemicals’) restriction.
🌲 Nature restoration: from law to land. Member States must submit their Nature Restoration Plans by 1 September 2026. A new fund and climate adaptation package should double down on nature-based solutions: healthy forests and wetlands prevent fires and floods.
🦆 Stress-testing nature – In spring 2026, the Birds and Habitats Directives – two of the EU’s oldest environmental laws – face a so-called “stress test.” History shows this usually means weaker protections, even as biodiversity continues to collapse. We’ll be fighting to stop that.
⚡️ Renewables vs. nuclear – Mid-year, the Commission will present its post-2030 climate framework. The current approach (renewables + energy-efficiency targets) is already saving Europe billions in fossil fuel imports. But a group of countries led by France wants to replace it with “low-carbon” targets that include nuclear. We don’t need costly distractions, but solutions that work now: energy savings, solar, wind, grids, and storage.
⚖️ Better rules or no rules? The Commission is eyeing a rewrite of its Better Regulation Agenda to cut down on impact assessments and consultations – right after the Ombudswoman flagged it for ignoring those rules. Citizens must not be sidelined, and evidence-based law-making must be upheld. Call for Evidence open until 4 Feb – have your say!
And the list doesn’t stop here. Add the EU’s long-term budget, a heating and cooling strategy, new rules to cut air pollution, and much more. We’ll be covering it all this year, even if we can’t namecheck every battleground in a single newsletter.
Finally, maybe the Commission will realise that profit-at-all-costs doesn’t equal competitiveness, that the Ombudswoman was right, and that this deregulation drive can and must end. Why not?
2026 has started with a bang. Europe can’t afford half measures; it’s time for leaders to stand together, resist global pressure, and champion a bold EU agenda for a greener, safer, and more independent tomorrow.
🚢 EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL
Green light – Last week, 21 of the 27 EU Member States approved the EU–Mercosur trade deal, a far-reaching agreement between the EU and the Mercosur bloc (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay) aimed at liberalising trade in agricultural and industrial goods.
Despite opposition – The decision ignores objections from several governments, the EU Parliament, and 25 years of opposition from farmers’ organisations, trade unions, and civil society. This is the first EU trade deal pushed through without full Member State consent.
A disaster for the planet – The deal will likely increase greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate deforestation in vulnerable ecosystems, including the Amazon, by expanding trade in beef, soy and other commodities linked to land-use change. Boosting exports tied to industrial agriculture (intensive factory farming and high-input crops) undermines biodiversity and deepens the climate crisis instead of addressing it.
Communities and farmers ignored – Indigenous Peoples and marginalised communities in Latin America face greater risks, including land theft and environmental harm, while EU farmers are undercut by increased imports of beef and soy produced under lower cost conditions. Proposed safeguards are weak, and studies suggest the deal could cost Europe 120,000 agricultural jobs.
Consumer protections at risk – Imports produced under lower health and safety standards, including the use of agricultural chemicals banned in the EU, could reach European markets. Weak enforcement threatens food safety, traceability, and protections for both consumers and farm workers.
What now? This deal harms Europe, Latin America, and the nature we all rely on. It serves the short-term profits of a corporate elite that answers to no one. We demand better from our policymakers. We call on the EU Parliament to reject this corporate-captured deal.
👚 FASHION FIGHT: SHEIN VS FRANCE
Allez la France! Last year, the French passed a law taking ultra-fast fashion to task: eco-taxes, ad bans, and new sustainability rules to stop overconsumption and the tsunami of textile waste. Magnifique! Turbo-capitalism’s beast can and must be tamed.
Marching through Brussels – Shein’s boss was spotted in Brussels this week, trying to sweet-talk his way past environmental rules. Today we are hitting the streets with Amis de la Terre and 65 European and French groups, calling on the EU Commission to stop kissing lobbyists’ boots and let France’s law roll. It’s time for Brussels to pick people over profit.
Cheap ain’t cheerful – Disposable clothing is wrecking our planet, our recycling bins and our reputation. If the EU is serious about cleaning up the fashion mess, it needs real producer responsibility schemes that make brands pay – and end the endless parade of unsellable junk flooding the global second-hand market.
⚔️ FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT (JOIN US!)
🏆 WIN on clean tap water – The EU’s revised Drinking Water Directive now makes Member States monitor PFAS, act when levels are unsafe, and tell people what’s in their water. But the fight isn’t over: lobbyists are trying to weaken the Water Framework Directive, and forever chemicals keep sneaking in elsewhere. Protecting our water means keeping pressure on polluters.
🐖 Animal welfare in the EU mainstream – EU citizens are loud and clear: over 236,000 responded to the farm animal welfare consultation, and 1.4 million backed #EndTheCageAge. People want decent treatment for animals, fair conditions for farmers, and stronger public health protections. Check this video from our photography exhibition on factory farming last year – and the full gallery. The Commission promised action; now it’s time to deliver. 🏠
Yes to Renovation, No to Demolition – Every minute, a building in Europe is torn down, driving up rents, wasting energy, and erasing history. We support HouseEurope! in pushing for EU laws to make renovation the new norm, with fair assessments, subsidies, and tax breaks that save homes, jobs, energy, and neighbourhoods. Sign their petition here.
🍉 Justice for Palestine – This week, a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) has been launched calling on the Commission to propose the full suspension of the EU–Israel Association Agreement over the ongoing genocide. While a suspension of the agreement will require support from a majority of member states, the ECI now seeks to collect one million signatures to ask the Commission to make the proposal in the first place. Sign here.
🧠✨ DOPAMINE HIT
As ever, here are a few happy updates to get your weekend off to a perky start:
- Coal power generation falls in China and India for the first time since the 1970s. Read more here.
- After a four-year wait, the abundant fruiting of the rimu tree could inspire the world’s heaviest parrots to boost their population. Read more here.
- The EU cracks down on forever chemicals in drinking water. Read more here.
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From dirty lobbies to smear campaigns, billionaire bullies to climate collapse, we face a lot. Support our work, one coffee at a time.
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By: Alberto Vela. Special thanks to the EEB’s editorial team: Roi Gomez, Ben Snelson and Ruby Silk. Editor: Christian Skrivervik.
FROM CARACAS TO NUUK: THE SAME RESOURCE LOGIC A DIFFERENT LATITUDE
The debate over Greenland cannot be understood in isolation. When the United States frames Greenland as a “national security priority”, it draws on a familiar playbook, one that Europe has seen repeteadly in Latin America, and most clearly in Venezuela. Read more here.
