Call for authors | European Green Deal Risk Radar 2027: Midterm review of the second von der Leyen Commission

• Deliverable: Update the methodology and the scorecards of the existing European Green Deal Risk Radar to provide an overview of both the progress and the backlash against key legislative files during the first half of the 2024-2029 legislative term
• Audience: EU policymakers and media, as well as multiplicators in NGOs, think tanks, industry that search orientation and compelling arguments for their advocacy in favour of an ambitious implementation of the European Green Deal goals
• Format: Scorecards of ca. 1,000 words (2 pages in A4 format) maximum, including at least one relevant quote from a policy-maker and references with URLs; layout and online/print publication will be done by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU in its corporate design and are not part of the assignment
• Timeline: Please send your response to this call by Wednesday, 26 August 2026 EOB; a final draft taking into account feedback from Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU is to be handed over by Friday, 27 November 2026
• Budget: Only offers of up to 40 000 € including VAT, excluding costs for layout, graphic design and proofreading, will be considered for this work

Context of the publication

After the European elections in 2024, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU commissioned a first version of the European Green Deal Risk Radar. The aim was to describe the state of the most relevant EU laws launched under the European Green Deal in view of risks potentially undermining successful implementation. A traffic light-based colour coding ranked the prospects and the risk of each single EU law in a two-pager scorecard.

For the midterm of the second term of the von der Leyen Commission, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU plans to overhaul the methodology and update the content of the European Green Deal Risk Radar. A series of ‘Omnibus Simplification Packages’ from the European Commission, along with attacks from some national governments and from parts of the European Parliament, put at risk the functioning of EU legislation for ambitious emission reductions, the EU’s energy transition and the protection of biodiversity.

Aim of the publication

• Raise awareness for the relevance of existing and pending EU law and initiatives for the EU’s ability to respect its commitment under the Paris Agreement, to protect its biodiversity, to ensure affordability of energy and competitiveness of its businesses
• Give non-experts an accessible and reader-friendly overview of the content and status of the most relevant EU laws and initiatives under the European Green Deal respectively in follow-up of it
• Reveal attacks on the level of ambition and the integrity of EU law and initiatives, as well as their potential consequences people and the planet from both a global and domestic EU perspective
• Analyse the external impact - or lack thereof - of EU environmental policies and legislation on ODA (Official Development Assistance) recipient countries, including effects on their economies, environmental commitments, and development prospects
• Advise on how to preserve the acquis and strengthen the positive impact of the assessed EU laws
• Provide potential multiplicators in NGOs, think tanks and industry with compelling arguments, facts and figures for their advocacy in favour of keeping ambitious European Green Deal goals

Methodology and structure of the publication

Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU suggests to keep the focus on the analysis of specific EU laws and/or initiatives that either originate from the European Green Deal during the previous legislative term 2019-2024 or that are finalised, revised or a direct follow-up during the first half of the legislative term 2024-2029. The appropriate format could still be a two-pager score card per EU law or initiative.

The following four sets of categories and indicators could guide the assessment of each EU law or initiative and make them comparable:

1. Explain why an EU law or initiative is relevant (and potentially rank it) in view of

• Climate ambition: Achieving emission reductions and living up to the EU’s global responsibility
• 100% renewables: Reducing the EU dependency on fossil fuel imports and their global damage
• Affordability: Cutting citizens’ cost of living and supporting businesses competitiveness
• Biodiversity: Preserving biodiversity in the EU and beyond
• Zero pollution: Achieving zero pollution and a circular economy in the EU and beyond
• Security: Strengthening the EU’s socio-economic resilience and the global multilateral order

2. Provide detailed information about the status of the EU law or initiative, e.g. the launch dates of proposals, positioning of key policy-makers, progress in decision-making of the co-legislators, entry into force, national transposition and implementation, revisions that are expected, ongoing or pending (such as Omnibus Simplification Packages), other reviews and evaluations, further domestic or global events influencing the law or initiative.

3. Evaluate how the EU law or initiative after half of the legislative term can live up to its relevance (as described under point 1) by summarising the following risk indicators:

• Deregulation. Describe if (proposed) changes to the EU law have undermined or will potentially undermine its ambition and legal standards or if they rather increased or will increase its (global) impact.
• Speed. Assess if and how the EU law or initiative has been undermined through delays or if it has been accelerated to speed up the achievement of its objectives.
• Money. Analyse if and to what extent distributional conflicts or a lack of finance weaken the EU law or if additional funding has been provided to facilitate the achievement of its objectives.
• Licence for polluters. Analyse if the EU law opens doors for continued use of fossil fuels and nuclear power or if it reduces environmental and health damage globally, following the polluter-pays-principle.
• Inequalities. Analyse if the EU law deepens global inequality or if it allows a fair participation of citizens and non-EU countries in the benefits of the European Green Deal.

4. Close with a short foresight analysis and suggest how prospects and achievements of the European Green Deal strategically could be enhanced. Show in a timeline from 2027 to 2029 to readers what EU law or initiative is expected to be potentially relevant when. Identify possible measures or actions that could be taken to oppose a watering down of these EU laws or the lack of implementation.

Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU welcomes suggestions from potential authors with regards to changing or adding other risk indicators, as well as alternative approaches to compare and rank the progress of the European Green Deal.

Key elements of the publication

The following EU laws and initiatives have been covered in the previous versions of the European Green Deal Risk Radar. Unless completely irrelevant, the scorecards that assess these EU laws and initiatives should at least be factually updated.

• Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• CO₂ Emission Performance Standards for Cars
• Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plans (CSP)
• Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)
• Count Emissions EU
• Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA)
• Deforestation Regulation
• Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)
• Effort Sharing Regulation
• Electricity Market Reform
• Emissions Trading System (ETS)
• Emissions Trading System 2
• Energy Taxation Directive (ETD)
• European Climate Law
• Gas Market Reform
• Governance Regulation
• Industrial and Livestock Rearing Emissions Directive (IED 2.0)
• Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) Regulation
• Nature Restoration Regulation
• Pesticides Regulation
• Renewable Energy Directive (RED)
• Soil Monitoring Law

If considered relevant, more existing or upcoming EU laws and initiatives could be added to the European Green Deal Risk Radar, e.g.:

• Accelerate EU Communication
• Affordable Energy Action Plan
• Circular Economy Act
• Citizens Energy Package
• Electrification Action Plan
• Energy Efficiency Directive (EED)
• Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)
• Industrial Accelerator Act
• Methane Emissions Regulation
• Public Procurement Act
• Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) Regulation