CETAF backs an Open Letter addressed to EU policymakers and asks its Members and friends to adhere.
With this Open Letter, over 2,000 European scientists and 27 scientific organisations express deep concerns about the Green Deal. Recently, key environmental regulations were delayed, weakened, or removed—raising alarm for the future of sustainability in the EU. For example, the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR) was withdrawn, undermining efforts to reduce harmful chemical use.
In addition, changes to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have eliminated crucial environmental safeguards.
Moreover, the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) has been delayed, further weakening environmental protection. As a result, these actions threaten the EU’s goals for carbon neutrality, biodiversity, and pollution reduction.
Furthermore, they endanger public health, wellbeing, and long-term food security.
Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss. Firstly, the delay in implementing the EUDR weakens efforts to stop deforestation tied to European supply chains.
Consequently, this delay threatens biodiversity and punishes businesses that already invested in meeting compliance standards.
Pesticide Regulation. Moreover, rejecting the SUR ignored strong scientific evidence and widespread public backing for EU-wide pesticide reduction goals.
As a result, this setback hinders action against rising agrochemical use that harms human health and ecosystems.
Agricultural Policy. In addition, recent CAP reforms lowered environmental standards, favoring short-term gains over long-term ecological sustainability.
Thus, these changes may worsen soil degradation, increase biodiversity loss, and raise greenhouse gas emissions.
Renewable Energy Expansion. While renewable energy is vital, unchecked growth risks destroying habitats and degrading soil across Europe.
Therefore, such expansion contradicts EU biodiversity targets and undermines the “no-net land take” strategy for 2050.
The scientists expressed deep concern about the EU prioritising competitiveness and growth over sustainability. Moreover, this policy shift appears in the Commission’s 100-day strategy.
It overlooks planetary boundaries and the links between environmental health and human well-being. Consequently, it also threatens long-term economic resilience.
The letter outlines several urgent steps to realign the EU with its Green Deal objectives:
Revoking Recent Amendments: Reconsider recent contested decisions such as on the CAP, the delayed implementation of the EUDR and the protection status of the wolves, and resist further attempts to water down or weaken existing environmental regulations
Work for the full implementation of existing legislation and regulation, with a commitment to evidence-based decision-making and stakeholder consultation.
Set an ambitious Environmental Agenda: Developing a post-election strategy aligned with planetary boundaries and the EU’s global commitments to climate and biodiversity goals, especially for the CAP reform.
Reinstating the SUR: Reintroducing the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation to uphold science-based pesticide reduction targets.
Science-Policy Collaboration: Strengthening the science-policy interface, and using those interfaces enacted by the European Commission exactly for the purpose of ensuring timely, informed decisions and evidence-based governance.
The authors urge EU citizens, civil society organisations, and political actors to advocate for policies that prioritise sustainability, environmental health, and resilience. Only through collective action can Europe maintain its position as a global leader in addressing the climate and biodiversity crisis.
