Climate action would be among the EU’s political priorities for the next legislature

The nature recoverythe protection of agua and the promotion of renewable energy They will continue to be the political priorities of the next institutional cycle of the EU, as can be seen from the leak of the ‘Strategic Agenda’, a very important document that will be approved during the summit of EU leaders that began this Thursday, June 27. in Brussels.

Previous leaks from EU leaders’ policy guidance document suggested that references to climate action had been virtually wiped from the agenda, pointing to a 180 degree turn regarding the main objectives of the ‘European Green Deal. However, the latest draft of the document, to which ‘Euronews’ has had access, promises to “continue protecting nature”, and also, “reverse the degradation of ecosystems.”

“We will strengthen the resilience of water resources across the European Union. We will defend dynamic rural communities and we will strengthen the position of farmers in the food supply chain,” the document said.

The letter also indicates the intention to “accelerate the energy transition” and “guarantee the supply of abundant, affordable and clean energy“.

A summit of community leaders that generates high expectations

EU leaders are expected to approve the ‘Strategic Agenda’ for the next five years during the EU summit which began this Thursday and will last until Friday, June 28 in the Belgian capital. A meeting in which decisions on the main important positions within the EU should be finalized, after an initial attempt to do so during an informal meeting on June 17.

In April, environmentalists and lawmakers were outraged by initial leaks about the ‘Strategic Agenda’, according to which EU leaders intended to focus Almost exclusively in the areas of defense, security and competitiveness.

The document reflected pre-election sentiment, as European People’s Party MEPs they especially moved away from ecological policies amid the backlash from farmers and repeated protests that spread across Brussels ahead of the European elections. Some elections that took place from the 6th to the 9th of this month of June.

However, the competitiveness remains one of the central axes of the latest draft, in which EU leaders commit to “provide a stable and predictable business framework” and “create a more conducive environment to increase the manufacturing capacity of technologies and products with zero carbon dioxide emissions” throughout the bloc.

“We will invest in extensive cross-border energy, water, transport and communications infrastructure. We will pursue a climate transition fair and equitable, with the aim of continuing to be globally competitive and increase our energy sovereignty,” according to the leaked document.

To achieve this, EU leaders will direct investments towards ambitious electrification, using all available solutions. net zero emissions and low carbon, and investing in networks, storage and interconnections, according to the document.

Three pillars to support the application of the European Green Deal

Researchers at the Bruegel think tank, based in Brussels, are convinced that decarbonisation objectivescompetitiveness and strategic autonomy will support the application of the European ‘Green Deal’ during the institutional cycle of the European Union from 2024 to 2029, according to a document published today.

“To strike the right balance between these sometimes conflicting objectives, EU policymakers must focus on the both national and international aspects of the ‘Green Pact’ European,” the Bruegel researchers recommend.

At home, EU leaders must ensure the implementation of the climate plan agreed, avoiding inaction or delays, the researchers propose, while for the outside world they suggest the establishment of a “new diplomacy strategy and green partnerships” with a view to supporting global decarbonization and, at the same time, “addressing issues of competitiveness and strategic autonomy.”