The EU has been backpedaling on its environmental promises, yielding to agribusiness and far-right demands, risking future ecological stability.
Arthur Neslen writes for The Guardian.
In short:
- The EU has scrapped initiatives aimed at reducing pesticide usage, protecting nature, and curbing toxic chemicals due to external pressures.
- This rollback is partly in response to fears of a far-right surge in upcoming elections, despite potential long-term environmental consequences.
- The EU's deforestation law, a critical part of its green agenda, faces threats of dilution, raising concerns about global forest conservation.
Key quote:
“Von der Leyen risks obliterating her last remaining achievement on land use over the last five years. There is already almost nothing left of the green deal.”
— Julia Christian of the forest conservation group Fern
Why this matters:
The recent electoral successes of right-wing parties are expected to influence the European Union's political priorities and policy initiatives, with potential shifts toward more conservative positions on issues like environmental policies.
