In Search of a Climate-Neutral EU
Introducing our latest project, Towards a climate-neutral EU, which aims to get the EU Budget in line with the ambitious environmental and sustainability aspirations of the region.
The work to address the sustainability challenges in the European Union fiscal policy cannot stop. With this in mind, CEEweb for Biodiversity, alongside eight NGO’s from the Central and Eastern European region and the European Environmental Bureau, has just launched the new campaign Towards a climate-neutral EU: funding and incentives for a transformative European Green Deal and Recovery Plan in order to get the EU Budget in line with the ambitious environmental and sustainability aspirations of the EU.
By providing input to EU and national policies, exchanging views and experiences, increasing awareness among all stakeholders, and developing targeted recommendations for improving the use of EU funds campaign, we wish to make sure that both the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RFF) are sustainability-proof.
We call for a reformed EU budget and post-COVID recovery that serve sustainability while increasing well-being. We need to reform the EU budget because unsustainable, incoherent policies lead to a waste of money, waste of time and loss of lives.
Thus, along the campaign, we will continue our work on both the European and national levels to influence decision-making. Among them:
- We advocate for improved EU funding and fiscal policy to bring finances in line with environmental ambitions and the European Green Deal.
The coming weeks present a window of opportunity to influence the European Recovery Plan and MFF — agreed upon by the European Council on 21 July 2020 and waiting for approval by the European Parliament and by national parliaments. We are engaging with European decision-makers to ensure that sustainability checks are included.
- We advocate, lobby and raise awareness to the importance of better targeting of EU money in the Member States, particularly in CEE countries, encouraging a green transition.
As the basic legislative processes relating to the MFF are coming to a conclusion, the most critical next step is by far the preparation of the Partnership Agreements on the European Structural and Investment Funds (PAs). The PAs are legally binding documents signed by the European Commission and national governments of Member States.
Read more about our new campaign, Towards a climate-neutral EU: funding and incentives for a transformative European Green Deal and Recovery Plan.