Brussels – The European Commission’s work programme for the next 5 years, published yesterday evening, plans to rip up protections for people’s rights and the planet to boost corporate profits, warned Greenpeace.
Greenpeace EU senior political campaigner Ariadna Rodrigo said: “Von der Leyen says she wants Europe to compete – she’s competing with Musk and Trump to wreck protections for people and planet. This Commission plan only helps Europe’s shareholders to be competitive, at the expense of prosperity, green jobs and a healthy environment for ordinary people. Global temperatures are breaking records, and with that come storms, floods and heatwaves that are wrecking people’s homes and livelihoods. Instead of building societies that support people and the ecosystems they depend on, this Commission is accelerating us towards disaster so companies can squeeze out more profits on the way down.”
Throughout the Commission work programme is a push for ‘simplification’ of legislation, with a package of rules on corporate sustainability due diligence and reporting highlighted for watering down. The work programme also foresees deregulation in the EU’s common agricultural policy, the largest EU expenditure, where protections for nature, climate, human health and animal welfare have already been stripped back in recent years.
The drive to cut environmental and social protections to boost business flies in the face of a recent European Investment Bank report that found the main barriers to investment are high energy costs, labour shortages, and economic uncertainty, rather than any burden caused by this legislation.
Contacts:
Ariadna Rodrigo, Greenpeace EU senior political campaigner: +32 (0)479 99 69 22, [email protected]
Greenpeace EU press desk: +32 (0)2 274 1911, [email protected]
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Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. We do not accept donations from governments, the EU, businesses or political parties. Greenpeace has over three million supporters, and 26 independent national and regional organisations with offices in more than 55 countries.
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