Political Bombs

As the countdown to Christmas is drowned out by a global political storm, we’re here to bring you the updates you care about – namely, how all of this is going to impact the work we’re all doing to bring about a liveable future.

Political bombs It feels like with every door open on our advent calendars, another drama unfolds across the globe. On Wednesday morning, the collapse of the French government was confirmed, just days after the South Korean President announced that he was imposing martial law. Last week in Romania, a certain far-right, pro-Putin Călin Georgescu rose from near-obscurity through a wildly popular TikTok campaign to win the first round of the country’s presidential elections, plunging the country into crisis.

Russia’s puppets? While the court found no evidence of electoral fraud, authorities have identified that a major influence campaign, coordinated by a state-sponsored actor, was behind Georgescu’s rapid rise to fame. More here.  

And… the planet? All this political drama holds risks for the green agenda. In particular, disinformation coming from the far-right that questions the very essence of science-based policy – a better example would be hard to find than Georgescu’s claim that water is not H2O. 

Far-right gains also pose huge threats to civil society organisations and independent media who are doing the heavy lifting when it comes to protecting our environment and standing up to those fuelling climate breakdown.

DO WE REALLY HAVE TO SAY IT?! 

In case EU need reminding. In light of recent events, it is clear that EU institutions need a reminder. CSOs are the backbone of the EU project, bridging the gap between policymakers and citizens, safeguarding transparency, and driving solutions to pressing challenges like climate change and inequality. In an open letter to President von der Leyen, we joined 31 environmental CSOs and NGOs to underline why civil society engagement is essential for transparent policymaking and the resilience of European democracy. Check it out. 

Unlike well-funded actors such as multinational corporations and foreign governments, European citizens and their CSOs often lack the resources to consistently and effectively participate in public dialogue at the EU level. Yet, the EU’s modest investment in environmental NGOs (€15.6 million annually or a mere 0,006% of the total EU budget!) delivers remarkable societal benefits. These grants amplify citizen engagement, support effective policy implementation, and advance vital priorities such as climate action, sustainable farming, and nature restoration. Supporting CSOs is not just a high-return investment in achieving EU goals—it is essential for strengthening public trust in the European project. 

On this note, we’d like to express solidarity with our Georgian members who are operating in a rapidly shrinking space for civil society after last week’s announcement from the Georgian government that EU accession negotiations would be halted. There is no democracy without the right to protest safely and for journalists and NGOs to operate without intimidation. 

Winter is here. It is the third winter after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and EU leaders are gathering to discuss the progress made to phase out Russian fossil fuels. A 2027 deadline was agreed upon back in 2022, but some countries are making better progress than others. More renewables and better energy efficiency are needed to meet this target across the EU. 

LIFE IN PLASTIC, IT’S NOT FANTASTIC 

Deal with the pollulu! In March 2022, the UN Environment Assembly agreed to negotiate a new global treaty to curb plastic pollution. The international community celebrated. There is little left of that celebratory mood right now as the 5th round of negotiations concluded without an agreement. These negotiations, held in Busan, South Korea, should have seen the text of this Treaty finalised. However, the talks failed to find a consensus, with fossil fuel countries – including Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia – pushing back against measures to reduce plastic production.  

The good news is that more than 100 countries supported a draft text that included legally-binding global reductions in plastic production and phasing out certain chemicals and single-use plastic products – a level of ambition that campaigners, environmental health and human rights defenders from around the world strongly welcome. We must maintain the momentum and resume negotiations ASAP to wean ourselves off this fatal addiction. 

NO DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY FOR PFAS 

Forever and everywhere The EU’s new Commission has only just been waved in but they are likely already up to their eyeballs in forever chemicals. From Madrid to Uppsala, the EEB has found PFAS in the drinking water of the Commission’s new top dogs’ hometowns and we are ringing the alarm bells. Actually, we are inviting the new Commissioner’s to test their blood for PFAS levels and support our campaign against PFAS pollution. 

Prioritise, please! Europe has an estimated 17,000 contaminated sites, and 12.5 million Europeans live in communities with PFAS-contaminated drinking water. Tackling PFAS water contamination is a growing concern and should be a public health priority for the new EU Commission. 

NATURE CORNER

Wolves’ luck running out. On Tuesday, the Bern Convention voted to downgrade the protection status of wolves – a move condemned by scientists, NGOs and citizens. The EU Commission has already indicated that it plans to propose a revision of the law specifically for wolves. However, this process requires the approval of both the Council and the EU Parliament, raising concerns that wider changes could weaken protection for other species such as lynx, bears and beavers. 

 SOME WINS FOR YOUR WEEKEND

Speaking of Beavers. In happier news, for the first time in over 200 years, a European beaver has settled in Brussels! Their return benefits biodiversity and strengthens ecosystem health. 

Turtles and dolphins rejoice. In bigger news, EEB members, ClientEarth and Legambiente, with other Italian eNGOs, just won a landmark court against a planned gas project in Italy’s iconic Po Delta, home to dolphins, loggerhead turtles and more key species. Another win for nature! 

Dropping tools! Further north, after more than a year of massive pressure from activists, scientists and the international community, the Norwegian government has agreed to stop the first licensing round for deep-sea mining in Arctic waters. The government had planned to enable companies to mine an area of its seabed bigger than the UK. Its implications for species loss and climate change would have been devastating, so this news comes as a relief. But with authorities calling this a postponement, it is important that the pressure stays high on the Norwegian government to commit to abandoning these plans. 

These wins might appear small against the bigger picture, but they give energy and meaning to our work to bring a better future within reach! 

PROSPERITY THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY 

Who gets all the cash? European agriculture is shaped by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which costs one-third of the EU budget (55 billion euros)! But instead of reaching the smaller-scale farmers most in need, most of this money is pumped into the largest, wealthiest agribusiness corporations responsible for the industrialisation of Europe’s countryside, and the exploitation of people and nature. This week, EEB’s Faustine Bas-Defossez joined a panel discussion at POLITICO’s Sustainable Future Week, where she reminded us that there is another future where nature protection and competitive farming go hand-in-hand, and how the CAP can be a key tool to correct the current course. See our joint CAP vision paper!

A WELCOME TRICKLE OF ACTION 

Water talks set to flow. This week, the EEB was among many who welcomed the news that the EU Parliament’s ENVI Committee had voted in favour of commencing the ‘trilogue’ (inter-sintitutional) negotiations on key legislation related to addressing harmful water pollutants that are not yet adequately regulated under EU rules. These ‘priority substances’ include several PFAS (‘forever chemicals’), glyphosate, and a number of pharmaceuticals. Given the recent alarming assessments of Europe’s waters (and the fact that 78% of Europeans want more EU action on this), it’s time to take this seriously, and the EEB stands ready to support policymakers in protecting this precious resource. See our joint press release for a full reaction. 

Last but not least. The world’s biggest climate case is in court now! Led by Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change and World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ), climate-vulnerable States are turning to the world’s highest Court to ask what international law requires States to do about the climate crisis. The results could provide a legal roadmap to protect people and planet by making States accountable for their climate harms. The hearings will run until 13 December, so there is still time to lend them your support. Find out how. 

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Don’t stay delulu, deal with the pollulu. This year, our digital community has skyrocketed! We’ve joined Bluesky, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts—and have already gone viral several times. Plus, we just hit a huge milestone: 50.000 followers on LinkedIn! 

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By:  Ruby Silk. Special thanks to the EEB’s editorial team:  Alberto Vela, Ben Snelson, Roi Gomez and Annick Hus Editor: Christian Skrivervik