European Green Deal

Five years after the European Green Deal was launched, Europe's economic strength and security are at stake. What lies ahead for the German and European economy? A conversation with Sandra Parthie and Roderick Kefferpütz.

In late 2019, the European Green Deal was presented with pomp and circumstance, garnering widespread support. Just over four years later, as the current EU political cycle comes to an end, this support is withering. The European Commission has shelved parts of the Deal, scrapping proposals to halve the use of pesticides, for example. In the Council, the Nature Restoration Law hangs in the balance. And in the European Parliament, the conservatives have worked to reduce the ambition of the Green Deal, while  the liberals have called for a “regulatory pause”. Meanwhile, the social democrats are campaigning to put the social dimension front and centre.

More than 400 million people are expected to vote in the European elections on 6-9 June 2024, and decide on the next European Parliament. According to the polls, a shift to the right is expected in many EU countries, with populist, radical far right parties gaining votes and seats across the EU. What impact would this have? We will try to understand how the Europe we know might change in 2024 and foresee how the EU’s policy agenda and the direction of future EU legislation will be affected by it. And in line with this, we will also discuss the potential effects of an isolationist US administration after the November 2024 elections. Gail Rego talks to Roderick Kefferpütz, Director of the European Union office of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, and Sophie Pornschlegel, Director of Studies and Development at Europe Jacques Delors.

In fewer than 100 days, Europe’s citizens will go to the polls to elect their representatives to the European Parliament. The outgoing parliament faced historic challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic to Russia’s war in Ukraine. It rose to the occasion, advancing key legislative proposals and promoting the European Green Deal as a flagship project.

The Europe that will go to the polls in June 2024 is very different from that of 2019. Pandemic recovery, the climate and energy crisis, war in the continent, and the rise of the far right are all driving the narratives of the electoral campaign, but also mobilising progressive forces. Roderick Kefferpütz interviews MEP Terry Reintke, Co-President of the Greens/EFA Group and Spitzenkandidatin for the European Greens, on Green solutions for Europe in uncertain and volatile times.

While thousands of farmers have been protesting for weeks on the streets across Europe, the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung – the Paris Office in collaboration with the Thessaloniki Office – organised on 12 February 2024 a timely online discussion on the causes and possible solutions to the agricultural crisis. Representatives of farmers and researchers from France, Germany and Greece outlined the situation in their countries, illustrated their demands and contributed with suggestions.

With the European elections just around the corner and the subsequent appointment of a new European Commission, the next phase of the European transition to climate neutrality is about to begin. This article touches upon some key topics and challenges that lie ahead in the near future to ensure an effective implementation of the European Green Deal (EGD).

COP28 is being held under the banner of the urgently needed global energy transition: More and more governments and international civil society are calling for a global agreement on a rapid, comprehensive and just phase-out of all fossil fuels - coal, oil and gas. At the same time, there is a great risk that carbon capture and storage (CCS) and other risky technologies and carbon offsetting mechanisms will be promoted at COP28 in order to delay and water down the fossil fuel phase-out. This dossier contains analyses and comments on the most important negotiating points.