The EU on the Brink of Diluting European Sustainability Standards
• In the night of December 8–9, 2025, the European Council and Parliament reached a final agreement on the European Omnibus setting the framework for sustainability obligations for EU companies, after ten months of tense negotiations.
• This compromise significantly raised the application threshold of the CSRD while substantially weakening the CS3D, which was stripped of its core substance.
• The agreement marked a rollback of the reform’s initial ambitions, limiting the regulatory scope initially envisioned for European companies.
Source: Novethic – “Omnibus: A Trilogue Agreement Confirms the Rollback of CSRD and CS3D”
European Climate Law Compromise Exposes Internal Divisions
• The European Parliament and the EU Council reached a provisional agreement to amend the European Climate Law, setting a binding target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990.
• The deal included increased use of international carbon credits, biennial reviews, and the postponement of certain regulatory measures, addressing concerns from several Member States and MEPs.
• This step represents a major regulatory milestone, clarifying Europe’s trajectory toward climate neutrality and alignment with the Paris Agreement.
Source: ESG Today – “EU Parliament, Member States Reach Agreement to Cut GHG Emissions 90% by 2040”
Europe Delays and Simplifies Its Anti-Deforestation Regulation
• The European Parliament and the EU Council reached a provisional agreement to simplify and delay the entry into force of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), initially scheduled for late 2024 and now postponed to late 2026 for large companies and mid-2027 for smaller ones.
• The decision responded to concerns from Member States and stakeholders regarding companies’ operational capacity and the lack of preparedness of IT systems, particularly for traceability and compliance requirements.
• A review of administrative burdens planned before April 2026 aims to ease constraints while maintaining the objective of fighting deforestation through better supply-chain regulation.
Source: ESG Today – “EU Parliament, Council Agree to Simplify, Delay Supply Chain Deforestation Law”
EU Ban on Neonicotinoids Helps Insect-Eating Birds Recover
• Researchers analysed population data for 57 insect-eating bird species in France, collected between 2013 and 2022, to assess the impact of the EU’s ban on neonicotinoid pesticides adopted in late 2018.
• They observed a 2–3% increase in insect-eating bird populations after the ban, while sites exposed to these pesticides showed populations 12% lower than non-exposed areas, highlighting the environmental impact of insect decline.
• The study revealed a gradual recovery of avian biodiversity, demonstrating the effectiveness of regulatory measures aimed at protecting ecosystems.
Source: Happy Eco News – “Study Shows Ban on Bee-Killing Pesticides Helps Bird Populations Rebound”
Secret Lobbying: Multinationals Targeted the European Green Deal
• Documents published by Dutch media outlet SOMO revealed that a secret alliance of 11 multinationals, including ExxonMobil, Koch and TotalEnergies, carried out lobbying efforts to weaken the European Green Deal and corporate due diligence rules during the Omnibus negotiations.
• The scandal highlighted a major issue for businesses and European democracy regarding the integrity of environmental regulatory progress.
• The scale of this influence campaign aimed to hinder the systemic transformation driven by European environmental policy.
Source: Novethic – “Omnibus: 11 Multinationals Allegedly Organised the Dismantling of the Green Deal”
Food Sovereignty: A “Great Awakening” Challenged by the Farming Sector
• On December 8, 2025, the French Ministry of Agriculture launched the “Great Food Awakening” and related conferences to strengthen national agricultural production in response to France’s high food dependency, illustrated by high import levels and a sharp decline in the agricultural trade balance between 2024 and 2025.
• Several farming unions and NGOs strongly criticised the initiative, denouncing a misuse of the food sovereignty concept in favour of agro-industry and weak involvement of civil society.
• While the plan outlines ten-year strategies to restore food sovereignty, critics are calling for a reorientation of production and a more integrated and sustainable food strategy.
Source: Reporterre – “‘Produce More to Export More’: The Mockery of State-Led Food Sovereignty”
RTE Faces Tensions Over Overproduction and Renewables
• On December 9, 2025, RTE presented its “Forecast Balance” for electricity production in France up to 2035, against a backdrop of international uncertainty marked by the ongoing war in Ukraine and Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency.
• With electricity consumption stagnating and power overcapacity, several political and economic leaders called for slowing down the development of renewable energy, deemed costly.
• This situation crystallised national debates on balancing security of supply, energy strategy and cost management, illustrating a major shift in sectoral challenges.
Source: Le Monde – “To Curb Electricity Overcapacity, RTE Suggests Slowing Renewable Development”
Bovine Nodular Dermatosis: Tensions Over Mass Culling
• On December 9, 2025, a case of contagious bovine nodular dermatosis was confirmed in a herd of 208 cattle in Bordes-sur-Arize (Ariège), leading health authorities to order the complete culling of the herd and establish regulated zones with mandatory vaccination.
• The measure triggered mobilisation by 200 farmers and intervention from agricultural unions, which proposed an alternative protocol based on targeted culling, repeated PCR testing and expanded vaccination.
• The protest led the government to announce discussions around preventive mass vaccination to reassess the national strategy for managing the disease.
Source: Le Monde – “Dermatosis: Agricultural Chamber and Unions Propose Experimental Protocol to Avoid Culling 208 Cows”
Unprecedented Blockage of the UN Environmental Report’s Policy Summary
• On December 9, 2025, the UN published the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7), prepared by 287 scientists from 82 countries, synthesising the state of the global environment and existing policies.
• For the first time since 1997, the summary for policymakers was not released due to refusal of validation by certain countries, including the United States, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
• The absence of a policy summary exposed tensions between scientific requirements and state interests, limiting clear dissemination of findings to government decision-makers.
Source: Le Monde – “Publication of Conclusions of a Flagship UN Report Blocked by Several Countries, Including the United States”
Europe Faces a Persistent Divide in Plastic Packaging Recycling
• In 2023, EU countries generated 79.7 million tonnes of packaging waste, with wide disparities between Member States: Belgium achieved a recycling rate of 79.7%, already exceeding the 2030 target, while Romania recycled only 37.3%.
• According to the European Parliament, weak infrastructure and limited economic resources in some countries are slowing progress.
• The current situation pushes the EU to strengthen policies and mobilise investment to reduce health and environmental risks linked to waste.
Source: Happy Eco News – “The State of Plastic Recycling in Europe: Winners, Losers, and What Comes Next”
