Werner Hoyer has headed the European Investment Bank (EIB) for almost twelve years, and the 71-year-old will step down as president at the end of the year. At today’s meeting of EU finance ministers, the Swedish Council Presidency is now launching the search for a successor. According to our information, the member states have until June 16 to submit their nominations for the head of the EIB. Thedecision is to be made at the informal Ecofin in September, and the selection process will be officially concluded in October.
Accordingly, there are no clear favorites yet. Spanish Economy Minister Nadia Calviño and Vice-President of the EU Commission Margrethe Vestager have been considered as possible candidates for some time. But another name is also coming up: Charles Michel, the current President of the European Council. This is already his second term in office, so the Belgian cannot be reappointed and is looking for a new job.
However, Michel’s mandate runs until Nov. 30, 2024, while Hoyer vacates his seat almost a year earlier. The Belgian government is therefore pushing to stretch out the process for Hoyer’s successor. Together with other member states, it is trying to include the appointment of the EIB’s top executive in the major EU personnel tableau afternext year’sEuropean elections. Another group under French leadership, on the other hand, is determined to stick to the timetable presented by Sweden.
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Feature
Anti-corruption agenda: laborious implementation in the EP
After the corruption scandal involving the deposed Vice-President of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, became public, Parliament President Roberta Metsola set up an anti-corruption agenda. The implementation of her 14-point plan has begun, but is proving slow. This is because changes to the rules of procedure are also necessary. To do this, a legislative text must be drafted and voted on in plenary. The yes votes of half of all Members of Parliament are needed, i.e. 353 votes.
Intensive preparatory work is required to ensure that the resolutions are capable of gaining majority support and are legally secure, i.e. that they would also stand up to scrutiny by the ECJ. While the Commission’s proposal on an independent ethics committee is still awaited, a decision by the Presidium, i.e. by the 14 Vice-Presidents and Metsola herself, is sufficient for other points.
Under the cooling-off rules, ex-MEPs may not accept lobbying work for six months after leaving office. If they do so after that, they must register as lobbyists. The new access rules then apply, such as the rule that only one access card may remain valid and the lobbyists’ presence on the premises is recorded. The narrow decision (8 yes, 7 no) in the Presidiumfalls short of demands from the European Parliament: The Greens, for example, had demanded that ex-MEPs should not be allowed to take up lobbying activities for as long as they receive transitional allowance – a maximum of 24 months.
Events in the European Parliament
At a special meeting of the bureau on May 22, it is to be decided under what conditions, lobbyists can hold or participate in events in the European Parliament. According to the draft decision on conditionality, lobbyists will only be allowed to participate or co-organize events in the Parliament if they are registered in the lobby register.
Subsequent checks are to be carried out to ensure that the rules are being observed. In addition, the General Secretariat is to report once a year on how the rules have been applied. The plans are criticized for the fact that events held in the rooms of the parliamentary groups are not to be subject to retrospective checks. It is urged that, when events are held in their rooms, the parliamentary groups should also check whether the lobbyists taking part are listed in the lobby register.
Rules of Procedure
One body that is to formulate further reform proposals is the working group on the Rules of Procedure, chaired by Rainer Wieland (CDU). It intends to submit proposals by September. This body will discuss, for example, the revision of the Code of Conduct for MEPs. This also involves the definition of conflicts of interest and the declaration of additional earnings. In the case of ancillary earnings, it is becoming apparent that in the future the payment will have to be stated in euros and cents. Up to now, the following monthly earnings ranges have been applicable:
€500 – €1000
€1001 – €5000
€5001 – €10,000
€10,000+
Conflicts of interest among rapporteurs
With regard to the definition of conflicts of interest under Article 3 of the Code of Conduct, discussions are still ongoing in the working group. However, the following regulation is emerging: In the future, Members of Parliament will have to declare that they have no conflict of interest with regard to an office and the area of work assigned to it. This regulation is to apply to:
Vice-Presidents
Quaestors
Chair or vice-chair of a committee or delegation
There is still debate about how to deal with conflicts of interest among rapporteursand shadow rapporteurs. It is under discussion that the committee can vote on whether an MEP may take over a report despite a conflict of interest. In the case of shadow rapporteurs with a conflict of interest, their group should make the decision.
Criticism of Commission plans for ethics panel
Probably still in May, Commissioner Věra Jourová, Vice-President for Values, wants to present the proposal for an independent ethics body of the EU institutions. But her plans are meeting with resistance in Parliament. Katarina Barley (SPD), as Vice-President of the European Parliament responsible for transparency, criticized in an interview with Table.Media: “Even now, the Commission wants to establish nothing more than a toothless discussion group – without real powers”. To really expand transparency and integrity in the institutions, “that’s not nearly enough”. Here, she sees “a lack of will in the Commission and Council to co-sponsor sustainable reforms”.
So far, the question of whether and in which decisions in connection with the corruption affair third countries have exerted influence has not been addressed. The subcommittee on foreign influence on all democratic processes in the EU (ING 2) was set up specifically for this purpose.
The Green Daniel Freund, member of the committee, criticizes in the discussion with Table.Media the “lack of will to clear things up”: “Too little eagerness was displayed to find out which decisions in the European Parliament Qatar or Morocco influenced, possibly with money”.
Corruption
European Parliament
Roberta Metsola
Migration policy: How the EU is shifting its borders
Largely unnoticed by the European public, a humanitarian catastrophe is currently unfolding in the Nigerian city of Assamaka: thousands of refugees from various sub-Saharan countries are stranded here. Their care is poor, the town is overburdened with people who wanted to go to Europe. The situation has hardly improved for months, says the organization Doctors Without Borders when asked.
Assamaka in the border region with Algeria and Mali is just one example of the EU’s outsourced responsibility for asylum seekers and migrants. It represents a momentous trend: the actual borders of the EU are increasingly far from the geographical ones. Third countries, which are not infrequently known for human rights violations, hold migrants and refugees on behalf of the EU.
Outer border ring before the EU
It is no longer about the apparently unreformable Dublin III system, according to which the EU state in which refugees first arrive is responsible for them. The concept of camps for refugees at the external borders, currently being pushed by German Minister for the Interior Nancy Faeser, would create an outer border ring in front of the EU to prevent those seeking protection from entering the EU.
“Attempts are being made to keep people’s suffering as far away from Europe as possible – whatever the cost. But this only creates more suffering and flight instead of tackling the causes”, Green MEP Erik Marquardt tells Table.Media. “There are strong forces in Europe that want to abolish the right of asylum in principle. They always offer new bogus solutions instead of focusing on the essentials. In the end, there is no way around solidarity in Europe, protecting people in need and fighting the causes of flight”.
Most refugees are from Syria and Afghanistan
In 2022, around 962,000 people applied for asylum in the EU, 218,000 of them in Germany. Refugees from Ukraine are not included in these statistics. This year, there could be more asylum seekers if the trend of the first few months continues. The main countries of origin of the applicants in Germany areSyria, Afghanistan and Turkey.
In any case, Turkey plays an important role as a gatekeeper in EU migration policy. And it knows how to use this role for its own interests, such as extorting higher payments from Brussels by opening borders and also continuing its violent policy against the Kurds in northern Syria.
The law and political scientist at the University of Kassel, Maximilian Pichl, therefore judges clearly: “The EU-Turkey deal has failed”. He also points out that Turkey has not fully implemented the Geneva Refugee Convention.
Another tool used by the EU to transfer tasks to other states and regions is the concept of safe third countries. For Germany, eight other countries are currently considered safe third countries in addition to EU members. The CDU/CSU in particular, but also SPD politicians, are calling for an expansion to include Georgia, Moldova, Morocco, Tunisia and India.
The clearest rejection from the government coalition comes from the Greens. But the decision paper on the refugee summit of May 10 states: “The federal government will intensify talks with important countries of origin in order to cooperate with them in the readmission of their nationals”.
Legal scholar Pichl warns, however: “Tunisia does not have a functioning asylum system. The EU Commission is looking for ways out of this dilemma and wants to lower the standards for when a third country is considered safe. This would mean abandoning the standards of refugee law. I therefore consider migration agreements based on the rule of law to be inconceivable”.
Is the EU sabotaging its value system?
Migration researchers also see the development toward de facto restrictions on applying for asylum on European soil as a threat to the EUitself. “We must not forget that the Union is not only a political and economic community, but is also essentially based on ideal values“, says Judith Kohlenberger.
In her book “The Flight Paradox”, the Austrian cultural and migration researcher deals with the contradictory nature of EU asylum and migration policy. “However, the EU can hardly represent these values credibly anymore, neither externally nor internally. Countries in the Global South are watching very closely how ‘the West’ behaves toward them”.
The examples of Turkey and Niger, but also the current UN report on the catastrophic human rights situation for refugees in Libya, show that the EU cannot prevent people from fleeing from emergency situations despite considerable financial effort. These agreements not only make the EU vulnerable to blackmail,theyalso create new problems on the ground. This is highlighted, for example, by a study published at the end of March by the Hessian Foundation for Peace and Conflict Research using the example of the Nigerian city of Agadez.
Compartmentalization creates new problems
As with Libya, the EU has also intensified cooperation with Niger to combat traffickers. For more than ten years, there has also been an EU police training mission, EUCAP, which is currently headed by Berlin police officer Antje Pittelkau. However, developments in Niger so far show that criminalizing transit migration only makes business more lucrative for smugglers. The prices for traveling through the country are rising because more bribes have to be paid. A similar development is also being seen in Libya.
The emergency situation in Assamaka is a consequence of the destabilization of Maliand the harsh migration policies of the EU and Niger in recent years. The authors of the HSFK study, Sarah Horváth and Regine Schwab, therefore conclude: “Migration policy also requires the normalization of migration as well as regulated routes for intra- and extra-African migration”.
Africa
European policy
Labour migration
Events
May 17, 2023; 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Brussels (Belgium) Zero Waste Europe, ConferenceZero waste at the coast: Lessons on waste prevention for policy-makers This event will bring together local actors in waste prevention with representatives from Brussels to present best practices and to evaluate how they can be implemented into European legislation to accelerate the transition away from single-use to reuse.INFO & REGISTRATION
May 17, 2023; 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m., online Digital Europe, SeminarUnlocking the potential of transatlantic cooperation: How the EU-US TTC can drive a sustainable future In this webinar, transatlantic business stakeholders and policymakers will discuss the role and potential of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) ahead of the next Ministerial Conference.INFO & REGISTRATION
May 17, 2023; 12-1 p.m., online DGAP, SeminarThe G7 Hiroshima Summit 2023 The German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) invites the Consul General of Japan in Munich who will provide first-hand insights into the G7 Summit, including the topics of cooperation on the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”, economic resilience, and security.INFO & REGISTRATION
May 17, 2023; 2:30-4:30 p.m., Brussels (Belgium) ERCST, Panel DiscussionEU Climate Policy & Electricity Market Design The European Roundtable on Climate Change and Sustainable Transition (ERCST) provides analytical input on the interactions between EU climate policy and the electricity market, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session.INFO & REGISTRATION
May 19-21, 2023; Iași (Romania)/online EURINT, ConferenceChallenges and future prospects for a resilient Europe The European Integrated Return Management Initiative (EURINT) invites experts from academia to provide a framework for dialogue and analysis on the various issues facing the European Union. INFO & REGISTRATION
News
Nature Restoration Law: new approach to prohibition of deterioration
The Council’s Environment Working Group will deal with the Commission’s proposal for a Nature Restoration Law (NRL) for the second time today, Tuesday. A draft of the Swedish Council Presidency for the general orientation from the beginning of May provides for more flexibility in the obligation proposed by the EU Commission that the condition of ecosystems must not deteriorate.
According to this, the prohibition of deterioration for the condition of habitats and animal species important for biodiversity would no longer be measured only by the outcome (“must not deteriorate”). With Sweden’s proposed amendment, it would be sufficient to take “necessary measures” to “conserve habitat […] with the aim of preventing significant deterioration” to comply with the requirements of the Renaturation Act.
The Commission’s essentially outcome-based approach would become an effort-based approach. Some countries, including the Netherlands, had called for a more flexibleapproach.
Considering special cases
In addition, the Council Presidency proposes to consider special cases in which exceptions to the prohibition of deterioration should apply outside Natura 2000 sites:
Force majeure, including natural disasters;
Unavoidable changes in habitats as a result of climate change;
Plans or projects of “overriding public interest” for which no less harmful alternative solutions are available;
Action or inaction by third countries for which the member state concerned is not responsible.
The Council Presidency plans to decide on the general direction at the meeting ofEU environment ministers on June 20. As the Parliament’s Environment Committee is currently still discussing its own position, the trilogue negotiations are not expected to begin until after the parliamentary summer recess. luk
Climate & Environment
European policy
Farm to Fork Strategy
Renaturation
Commission removes environmental legislation from agenda
The latest draft of the Commission’s plans for new legislative proposals – the so-called “list des points prévus” – lacks outstanding environmental legislation. A package of measures to reduce the release of microplastics into the environment was originally scheduled to be presented tomorrow, Wednesday. However, the package is missing from the current agenda for the weekly Commission meeting.
The legislative package for “sustainable agricultural and food systems and resource use“, which was scheduled for early June, has now also apparently been canceled. Planned were a soil health law, regulation for genetically modified plants, a revision of the Waste Framework Directive with regard to the handling of food waste and textiles, and a revision of legislation on seeds.
It is not known if or when the proposed legislations will be introduced now. luk
Climate & Environment
BMWK consults on bureaucratic obstacles at EU level
Yesterday, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) launched a consultation on bureaucratic obstacles at EU level in the area of ecological transformation. Until July 3, associations, organizations, companies and citizens are invited to participate via an online questionnaire. There, they can name existing or missing EU regulations that currently lead to bureaucratic obstacles and unnecessarily hinder measures or investments.
The focus is on the following areas:
Renewable energies;
Recycling and circular economy;
Climate-neutral economy;
Hydrogen economy;
Low-emission mobility;
Energy-efficient buildings;
Investments in the future and climate.
“We must now consistently tackle the reduction of bureaucratic barriers to the ecological transformation at EU level in order to accelerate the ecological transformation“, said State Secretary Sven Giegold. “We want to identify barriers that exist in EU law with the consultation and advocate for regulatory improvements in the next step“. leo
Climate & Environment
Renewable energies
Electricity market: Casares wants to give preference to low-income households
In his compromise proposal, Nicolás González Casares (S&D), the rapporteur for the reform of the electricity market, has advocated a redistribution of revenues from CfDs in favor of the lowest-income households. The European Commission argues for an equal distribution of revenues.
In the negotiating text, obtained by the French news magazine Contexte, the Socialist tightens the definition of bilateral Contracts for Difference (“CfDs”) compared to the European Commission’s proposal. The distribution of revenues from CfDs should not be evenly distributed to all consumers, the rapporteur demands. Priority should be given to the lowest-income consumers, he said. Casares also envisages that the revenues should go toward energy-saving measures and be used to finance the CfDs themselves.
As a reminder, CfDs are long-term contracts with prices guaranteed by the state. Investors participate in a bidding process based on the guaranteed price they are willing to accept. If the wholesale price of electricity is below that price, they receive a subsidy to cover the loss they would likely incur on the sale. If it is above that, the state retains the profit, which is then divided among electricity consumers.
Simplified procedures for PPAs
The Commission had proposed skimming off excess profits from new generation plants in times of high electricity prices and distributing the revenues equally to all electricity customers, depending on consumption. From the member states, the Council Presidency’s new text proposal states that companies should receive at most as many returns from these two-sided contracts for differences as corresponds to their total share of electricity consumption. In addition, all companies would have to receive the same discount per kilowatt hour.
In addition, the Commission’s proposal seeks to establish CfDs as the only form of allowable public support for renewable energy and nuclear generation. For Rapporteur Casares, however, these CfDs should not be the only types of long-term contracts supported. He also backs the development of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). These are private treaty contracts between two private parties.
To this end, the Commission should develop “standard PPAs” with a simplified procedure that is more accessible to SMEs. To this end, a central platform for the exchange of PPAs is to be established. If they benefit from a government guarantee, as envisaged by the Commission, these PPAs must be used exclusively for trading renewable electricity. Nuclear power would therefore be excluded from this guarantee system.
Dissent around capacity market
In its proposal, the Commission defines the capacity market as an exception. Casares, on the other hand, wants these mechanisms, which remunerate available capacity, “to be considered as a structural element”. German MEP Michael Bloss (Greens) opposes this. He fears that nuclear, gas and coal will receive public money in the long term without their needs being regularly reviewed. “These are life-extending measures for the climate killers par excellence”, he said. Such a capacity market would be expensive for all consumers and a brake on the energy transition, he added.
MEPs have until May 23 to submit amendments. On the same day, the Energy Committee (ITRE) will hold a first debate on the Socialist’s report. cst
Electricity market
European Parliament
Bank bailout: Lindner criticizes EU proposal
The EU Commission’s push to strengthen crisis management in the banking sector has met with some criticism from the German government. According to information from Table.Media, Berlin is basically behind the Brussels efforts. However, the Commission’s approach envisages very far-reaching changes to the existing regulatory framework. This is neither necessary, nor is there any justification for it. Minister for Finance Christian Lindner intends to present the German position today at the meeting of EU finance ministers.
The Commission had recently proposed extending the EU rules on the resolution to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to improve crisis management at banks. The Brussels-based authority also wants to broaden deposit protection. In the future, protection should also apply to public institutions such as hospitals, schools and municipalities. The EU authority is aiming to do the same for customer funds deposited by investment companies, payment institutions or e-money institutions in certain types of customer funds.
Berlin is particularly critical of the extension of the resolution rules to small enterprises. In Germany, as in many other member states, there are established and well-functioning institutional protection systems, and these should not be put up for discussion without good reason. Instead, the focus should be on medium-sized banks.
With regard to deposit insurance, the German government is reluctant to use the funds from the guarantee for a much broader deposit guarantee. This would create the wrong incentives. Instead, targeted solutions should be sought where deposit protection needs to be improved. cr
EU
European Commission
Gentiloni: Europe’s economy doing better than expected
The EU Commission is more optimistic about the economic outlook in the eurozone than it was in winter. At the same time, it expects inflation to remainstubbornly high. The Brussels-based authority expects gross domestic product (GDP) in the countries of the monetary union to grow by 1.1 percent in 2023, according to the spring forecast presented on Monday. In February, it had estimated only 0.9 percent.
The economy has coped well with the risks arising from the war in Ukraine and has proved resilient: Significantly lower energy prices were making themselves felt and reducing companies’ costs, the report continued, adding that the European economy was in better shape than had been assumed in the fall, said EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni.
In Brussels’ view, however, there has been no change in the bleak prospects for the German economy: It is likely to grow by only 0.2 percent, as already forecast in the winter. The Italian daily “La Stampa” had reported on the unchanged forecast figure in advance, citing insiders in Brussels.
Inflation of 5.8 percent in the eurozone
The EU Commission expects price pressures to remain high for longer. “Inflation has proven more persistent than expected”, Gentiloni said. The Commission expects Germany to have an inflation rate (HICP) of 6.8 percent in 2023, calculated for European comparisons, compared with 6.3 percent it had predicted in February. For the eurozone, it now estimates inflation of 5.8 percent, up from 5.6 percent in the winter forecast.
Accordingly, inflation rates are likely to remain quite high next year in Germany at 2.7 percent and in the eurozone at 2.8 percent. The European Central Bank is aiming for a rate of 2.0 percent for the eurozone in the medium term, which is considered ideal for the economy.
ECB Chief Economist Philip Lane expects the upward pressure on prices in the eurozone to ease significantly in the course of the year. For the ECB, the battle against the ongoing price surge has not yet been won. In April, the inflation rate actually rose slightly to 7.0 percent, after falling to 6.9 percent as recently as March – from 8.5 percent in February. rtr
EU
European Commission
Mariya Gabriel resigns, Vestager and Schinas take over
Mariya Gabriel has tendered her resignation as EU research commissioner. The Bulgarian was officially tasked Monday with forming a governing coalition in her home country. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accepted the resignation and thanked Gabriel for her work.
The center-right politician was initially Commissioner for Digital Affairs from 2017 and took over the Research, Innovation and Education, Culture and Youth portfolio in 2019. Gabriel’s duties will be taken over by Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager and Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, von der Leyen announced. Vestager will beresponsible for innovation and research, while Schinaswill take over education, culture and youth. luk
EU
European Commission
Slovakia: Civil servant government to calm domestic politics
Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová on Monday appointed a government of civil servants led by the non-party financial expert Ľudovít Ódor. The 46-year-old former deputy governor of the National Bank of Slovakia is to lead the country until a new government emerges from the parliamentary election on Sept. 30.
Ódor’s cabinet of experts replaces the conservative-populist minority government under Eduard Heger. Heger’s government was toppled in December by a vote of no confidence and has since been in office only on a provisional basis.
Slovakia, which borders Ukraine, is one of the neighboring country’s staunchest political and military supporters. Čaputová has ensured that the new government will continue on this course by filling key portfolios. The new foreign minister is Miroslav Wlachovský, who has worked as a diplomat in Washington and London, among other places.
Ongoing dispute in the coalition
The Ministry of Defense was taken over by security and defense expert Martin Sklenár, who has also represented Slovakia as a diplomat in Washington and at the Slovak EU representation in Brussels.
According to the president’s will, Ódor is to calm down domestic politics, which have recently been marked by hostilities between the parties. The ongoing quarrels within the previous governing coalition had already become unbearable for the public, the president said at the swearing-in ceremony. Ódor promised a calm administration guided by professional competence. Like any new government, his cabinet must face a vote of confidence in parliament within 30 days. dpa
Opinion
How to turn away from the ideology of unlimited growth
Written by Members of the EU Parliament
More than 4,000 people will gather this week – in the European Parliament and online – for the Beyond Growth 2023 conference. The event is a cross-campaign initiative to which we, as Members of the European Parliament from five different political groups, are inviting together with more than 60 partner organizations.
The goal of the three-day conference is to question the traditional solution patterns of the EU institutions and to work towards a new orientation of social goals. To this end, we have recruited high-ranking speakers from the EU’s decision-making bodies as well as representatives from academia, trade unions, business and civil society.
For us, it is clear: Our economic model must say goodbye to a dangerous orientation toward economic growth as the sole basis for development. The current economic model, which is geared towards endless growth, has already reached its limits.
Economic system prone to crises
On the one hand, because steady economic growth – especially when based on the consumption of fossil fuels – leads to global warming with catastrophic consequences. On the other hand, because limitless growth implies the exploitation of natural resources, the destruction of biodiversity, and an accumulation of waste and pollutants in the environment.
But the current economic model also fuels social inequality and exclusion. The focus on the goal of economic growth has notbrought about a fair distribution of wealth or opportunities for prosperity. Wealth and power are concentrated in the hands of a few, while more and more citizens are left behind. In addition, the pursuit of growth at all costs has produced a global economic system that is highly vulnerable to crises and shocks.
More pluralism in EU economic thinking
We are united by the conviction that we urgently need an economic system that prioritizes human well-being and environmental sustainability over GDP growth. What is needed is a model that offers a way out of the continuous exploitation of resources and the constant increase in production and consumption.
More pluralism in economic thinking is also needed in theEU institutions. The findings of climate and environmental research and the social sciences must be fully taken into account. Political rule-making must be geared to jointly defined objectives and not to fluctuations in GDP indicators.
Green Deal fails to recognize limits to growth
In particular, we propose that the following overarching goals be pursued in the EU institutions and member states:
The development of a European agenda for a way of doing business that is aligned with social, environmental and economic goals and places them above the goal of unlimited growth. The European Green Deal is an important and necessary step, but it does not recognize the limits to growth. A new strategy must consistently prioritize the goals of environmental sustainability, social justice and well-being.
The use of pluralistic indicators and macroeconomic models in the EU and member states. European policy must be based on progress indicators beyond GDP, use macroeconomic models that recognize planetary boundaries and focus on social well-being, and develop appropriate budgetary instruments.
The move away from the ideology of unlimited growth must alsobe reflected in our institutional structure. We therefore propose the establishment of a Directorate-General for Sustainability and Wellbeing in the European Commission, a special committee on the future beyond growth in the European Parliament, and ministries for economic transition in the member states.
Public interest in a sustainable European economy is greater than ever. The Beyond Growth conference can be the starting point for a political debate that meets the expectations of Europe’s citizens. We are convinced: Finding ways to a good life that respects the limits of the planet and our societies is more than a pious wish – it is an absolute necessity.
Jointly signed by:
Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA)
Philippe LAMBERTS (BE), Bas EICKHOUT (NL), Ville NIINISTÖ (FI), Manuela RIPA (DE), Marie TOUSSAINT (FR), Ernest URTASUN (ES), Kim VAN SPARRENTAK (NL)
The Left Group in the European Parliament – (LEFT)
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D)
Pascal DURAND (FR), Aurore LALUCQ (FR), Pierre LARROUTUROU (FR)
Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP)
Sirpa PIETIKÄINEN (FI), Maria WALSH (IE)
Renew Europe Group (RE)
Katalin CSEH (HR)
Fractionless (NI)
Dino GIARRUSSO (IT)
Climate & Environment
Economy
European Parliament
European policy
Nature Conservation
Dessert
Von der Leyen and the Club of Rome
Ursula von der Leyen is currently receiving a lot of encouragement for her (as yet undeclared) quest for a second term in office. “All hail Queen Ursula!” was a recent headline in a Brussels gossip magazine. Friedrich Merz and Markus Söder also praise the Commission President. Otherwise, however, the CDU politician is heartily unpopular in her own political camp. “Where is the difference between her and Toni Hofreiter?”, asks a well-known CDU/CSU member of the Bundestag.
In fact, the boundaries between von der Leyen and the Greens sometimes blur, as was the case yesterday at the Beyond Growth conference in the European Parliament in Brussels. Five years ago, her predecessor Jean-Claude Juncker, also a Christian Democrat, had turned down the invitation “rather rudely”, reported the hosting Green co-faction leader Philippe Lamberts.
Von der Leyen’s speech ‘pretty scary‘
Von der Leyen, on the other hand, didn’t just appear at the event. She even quoted the Club of Rome’s report on the “Limits to Growth“, published 50 years ago, and said, to jeers from the mostly young audience, “that the fossil-fuel-based growth model is simply outdated”.
Sandrine Dixson-Declève could hardly believe her ears: it was already “pretty scary”, said the co-president of the Club of Rome, that the acting president of the Commission had anticipated half of what she herself had wanted to say.
But only half of it: Dixson-Declève then railed against a “dangerous obsession with growth” as the cause of today’s polycrisis. Von der Leyen, on the other hand, is backing clean energies and a circular economy as “our new growth model”. So EPP campaign strategists need not fear that their (undeclared) candidate will soon overtake the Greens on the left – a small consolation. Till Hoppe
Werner Hoyer has headed the European Investment Bank (EIB) for almost twelve years, and the 71-year-old will step down as president at the end of the year. At today’s meeting of EU finance ministers, the Swedish Council Presidency is now launching the search for a successor. According to our information, the member states have until June 16 to submit their nominations for the head of the EIB. Thedecision is to be made at the informal Ecofin in September, and the selection process will be officially concluded in October.
Accordingly, there are no clear favorites yet. Spanish Economy Minister Nadia Calviño and Vice-President of the EU Commission Margrethe Vestager have been considered as possible candidates for some time. But another name is also coming up: Charles Michel, the current President of the European Council. This is already his second term in office, so the Belgian cannot be reappointed and is looking for a new job.
However, Michel’s mandate runs until Nov. 30, 2024, while Hoyer vacates his seat almost a year earlier. The Belgian government is therefore pushing to stretch out the process for Hoyer’s successor. Together with other member states, it is trying to include the appointment of the EIB’s top executive in the major EU personnel tableau afternext year’sEuropean elections. Another group under French leadership, on the other hand, is determined to stick to the timetable presented by Sweden.
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Feature
Anti-corruption agenda: laborious implementation in the EP
After the corruption scandal involving the deposed Vice-President of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, became public, Parliament President Roberta Metsola set up an anti-corruption agenda. The implementation of her 14-point plan has begun, but is proving slow. This is because changes to the rules of procedure are also necessary. To do this, a legislative text must be drafted and voted on in plenary. The yes votes of half of all Members of Parliament are needed, i.e. 353 votes.
Intensive preparatory work is required to ensure that the resolutions are capable of gaining majority support and are legally secure, i.e. that they would also stand up to scrutiny by the ECJ. While the Commission’s proposal on an independent ethics committee is still awaited, a decision by the Presidium, i.e. by the 14 Vice-Presidents and Metsola herself, is sufficient for other points.
Under the cooling-off rules, ex-MEPs may not accept lobbying work for six months after leaving office. If they do so after that, they must register as lobbyists. The new access rules then apply, such as the rule that only one access card may remain valid and the lobbyists’ presence on the premises is recorded. The narrow decision (8 yes, 7 no) in the Presidiumfalls short of demands from the European Parliament: The Greens, for example, had demanded that ex-MEPs should not be allowed to take up lobbying activities for as long as they receive transitional allowance – a maximum of 24 months.
Events in the European Parliament
At a special meeting of the bureau on May 22, it is to be decided under what conditions, lobbyists can hold or participate in events in the European Parliament. According to the draft decision on conditionality, lobbyists will only be allowed to participate or co-organize events in the Parliament if they are registered in the lobby register.
Subsequent checks are to be carried out to ensure that the rules are being observed. In addition, the General Secretariat is to report once a year on how the rules have been applied. The plans are criticized for the fact that events held in the rooms of the parliamentary groups are not to be subject to retrospective checks. It is urged that, when events are held in their rooms, the parliamentary groups should also check whether the lobbyists taking part are listed in the lobby register.
Rules of Procedure
One body that is to formulate further reform proposals is the working group on the Rules of Procedure, chaired by Rainer Wieland (CDU). It intends to submit proposals by September. This body will discuss, for example, the revision of the Code of Conduct for MEPs. This also involves the definition of conflicts of interest and the declaration of additional earnings. In the case of ancillary earnings, it is becoming apparent that in the future the payment will have to be stated in euros and cents. Up to now, the following monthly earnings ranges have been applicable:
€500 – €1000
€1001 – €5000
€5001 – €10,000
€10,000+
Conflicts of interest among rapporteurs
With regard to the definition of conflicts of interest under Article 3 of the Code of Conduct, discussions are still ongoing in the working group. However, the following regulation is emerging: In the future, Members of Parliament will have to declare that they have no conflict of interest with regard to an office and the area of work assigned to it. This regulation is to apply to:
Vice-Presidents
Quaestors
Chair or vice-chair of a committee or delegation
There is still debate about how to deal with conflicts of interest among rapporteursand shadow rapporteurs. It is under discussion that the committee can vote on whether an MEP may take over a report despite a conflict of interest. In the case of shadow rapporteurs with a conflict of interest, their group should make the decision.
Criticism of Commission plans for ethics panel
Probably still in May, Commissioner Věra Jourová, Vice-President for Values, wants to present the proposal for an independent ethics body of the EU institutions. But her plans are meeting with resistance in Parliament. Katarina Barley (SPD), as Vice-President of the European Parliament responsible for transparency, criticized in an interview with Table.Media: “Even now, the Commission wants to establish nothing more than a toothless discussion group – without real powers”. To really expand transparency and integrity in the institutions, “that’s not nearly enough”. Here, she sees “a lack of will in the Commission and Council to co-sponsor sustainable reforms”.
So far, the question of whether and in which decisions in connection with the corruption affair third countries have exerted influence has not been addressed. The subcommittee on foreign influence on all democratic processes in the EU (ING 2) was set up specifically for this purpose.
The Green Daniel Freund, member of the committee, criticizes in the discussion with Table.Media the “lack of will to clear things up”: “Too little eagerness was displayed to find out which decisions in the European Parliament Qatar or Morocco influenced, possibly with money”.
Corruption
European Parliament
Roberta Metsola
Migration policy: How the EU is shifting its borders
Largely unnoticed by the European public, a humanitarian catastrophe is currently unfolding in the Nigerian city of Assamaka: thousands of refugees from various sub-Saharan countries are stranded here. Their care is poor, the town is overburdened with people who wanted to go to Europe. The situation has hardly improved for months, says the organization Doctors Without Borders when asked.
Assamaka in the border region with Algeria and Mali is just one example of the EU’s outsourced responsibility for asylum seekers and migrants. It represents a momentous trend: the actual borders of the EU are increasingly far from the geographical ones. Third countries, which are not infrequently known for human rights violations, hold migrants and refugees on behalf of the EU.
Outer border ring before the EU
It is no longer about the apparently unreformable Dublin III system, according to which the EU state in which refugees first arrive is responsible for them. The concept of camps for refugees at the external borders, currently being pushed by German Minister for the Interior Nancy Faeser, would create an outer border ring in front of the EU to prevent those seeking protection from entering the EU.
“Attempts are being made to keep people’s suffering as far away from Europe as possible – whatever the cost. But this only creates more suffering and flight instead of tackling the causes”, Green MEP Erik Marquardt tells Table.Media. “There are strong forces in Europe that want to abolish the right of asylum in principle. They always offer new bogus solutions instead of focusing on the essentials. In the end, there is no way around solidarity in Europe, protecting people in need and fighting the causes of flight”.
Most refugees are from Syria and Afghanistan
In 2022, around 962,000 people applied for asylum in the EU, 218,000 of them in Germany. Refugees from Ukraine are not included in these statistics. This year, there could be more asylum seekers if the trend of the first few months continues. The main countries of origin of the applicants in Germany areSyria, Afghanistan and Turkey.
In any case, Turkey plays an important role as a gatekeeper in EU migration policy. And it knows how to use this role for its own interests, such as extorting higher payments from Brussels by opening borders and also continuing its violent policy against the Kurds in northern Syria.
The law and political scientist at the University of Kassel, Maximilian Pichl, therefore judges clearly: “The EU-Turkey deal has failed”. He also points out that Turkey has not fully implemented the Geneva Refugee Convention.
Another tool used by the EU to transfer tasks to other states and regions is the concept of safe third countries. For Germany, eight other countries are currently considered safe third countries in addition to EU members. The CDU/CSU in particular, but also SPD politicians, are calling for an expansion to include Georgia, Moldova, Morocco, Tunisia and India.
The clearest rejection from the government coalition comes from the Greens. But the decision paper on the refugee summit of May 10 states: “The federal government will intensify talks with important countries of origin in order to cooperate with them in the readmission of their nationals”.
Legal scholar Pichl warns, however: “Tunisia does not have a functioning asylum system. The EU Commission is looking for ways out of this dilemma and wants to lower the standards for when a third country is considered safe. This would mean abandoning the standards of refugee law. I therefore consider migration agreements based on the rule of law to be inconceivable”.
Is the EU sabotaging its value system?
Migration researchers also see the development toward de facto restrictions on applying for asylum on European soil as a threat to the EUitself. “We must not forget that the Union is not only a political and economic community, but is also essentially based on ideal values“, says Judith Kohlenberger.
In her book “The Flight Paradox”, the Austrian cultural and migration researcher deals with the contradictory nature of EU asylum and migration policy. “However, the EU can hardly represent these values credibly anymore, neither externally nor internally. Countries in the Global South are watching very closely how ‘the West’ behaves toward them”.
The examples of Turkey and Niger, but also the current UN report on the catastrophic human rights situation for refugees in Libya, show that the EU cannot prevent people from fleeing from emergency situations despite considerable financial effort. These agreements not only make the EU vulnerable to blackmail,theyalso create new problems on the ground. This is highlighted, for example, by a study published at the end of March by the Hessian Foundation for Peace and Conflict Research using the example of the Nigerian city of Agadez.
Compartmentalization creates new problems
As with Libya, the EU has also intensified cooperation with Niger to combat traffickers. For more than ten years, there has also been an EU police training mission, EUCAP, which is currently headed by Berlin police officer Antje Pittelkau. However, developments in Niger so far show that criminalizing transit migration only makes business more lucrative for smugglers. The prices for traveling through the country are rising because more bribes have to be paid. A similar development is also being seen in Libya.
The emergency situation in Assamaka is a consequence of the destabilization of Maliand the harsh migration policies of the EU and Niger in recent years. The authors of the HSFK study, Sarah Horváth and Regine Schwab, therefore conclude: “Migration policy also requires the normalization of migration as well as regulated routes for intra- and extra-African migration”.
Africa
European policy
Labour migration
Events
May 17, 2023; 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Brussels (Belgium) Zero Waste Europe, ConferenceZero waste at the coast: Lessons on waste prevention for policy-makers This event will bring together local actors in waste prevention with representatives from Brussels to present best practices and to evaluate how they can be implemented into European legislation to accelerate the transition away from single-use to reuse.INFO & REGISTRATION
May 17, 2023; 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m., online Digital Europe, SeminarUnlocking the potential of transatlantic cooperation: How the EU-US TTC can drive a sustainable future In this webinar, transatlantic business stakeholders and policymakers will discuss the role and potential of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) ahead of the next Ministerial Conference.INFO & REGISTRATION
May 17, 2023; 12-1 p.m., online DGAP, SeminarThe G7 Hiroshima Summit 2023 The German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) invites the Consul General of Japan in Munich who will provide first-hand insights into the G7 Summit, including the topics of cooperation on the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”, economic resilience, and security.INFO & REGISTRATION
May 17, 2023; 2:30-4:30 p.m., Brussels (Belgium) ERCST, Panel DiscussionEU Climate Policy & Electricity Market Design The European Roundtable on Climate Change and Sustainable Transition (ERCST) provides analytical input on the interactions between EU climate policy and the electricity market, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session.INFO & REGISTRATION
May 19-21, 2023; Iași (Romania)/online EURINT, ConferenceChallenges and future prospects for a resilient Europe The European Integrated Return Management Initiative (EURINT) invites experts from academia to provide a framework for dialogue and analysis on the various issues facing the European Union. INFO & REGISTRATION
News
Nature Restoration Law: new approach to prohibition of deterioration
The Council’s Environment Working Group will deal with the Commission’s proposal for a Nature Restoration Law (NRL) for the second time today, Tuesday. A draft of the Swedish Council Presidency for the general orientation from the beginning of May provides for more flexibility in the obligation proposed by the EU Commission that the condition of ecosystems must not deteriorate.
According to this, the prohibition of deterioration for the condition of habitats and animal species important for biodiversity would no longer be measured only by the outcome (“must not deteriorate”). With Sweden’s proposed amendment, it would be sufficient to take “necessary measures” to “conserve habitat […] with the aim of preventing significant deterioration” to comply with the requirements of the Renaturation Act.
The Commission’s essentially outcome-based approach would become an effort-based approach. Some countries, including the Netherlands, had called for a more flexibleapproach.
Considering special cases
In addition, the Council Presidency proposes to consider special cases in which exceptions to the prohibition of deterioration should apply outside Natura 2000 sites:
Force majeure, including natural disasters;
Unavoidable changes in habitats as a result of climate change;
Plans or projects of “overriding public interest” for which no less harmful alternative solutions are available;
Action or inaction by third countries for which the member state concerned is not responsible.
The Council Presidency plans to decide on the general direction at the meeting ofEU environment ministers on June 20. As the Parliament’s Environment Committee is currently still discussing its own position, the trilogue negotiations are not expected to begin until after the parliamentary summer recess. luk
Climate & Environment
European policy
Farm to Fork Strategy
Renaturation
Commission removes environmental legislation from agenda
The latest draft of the Commission’s plans for new legislative proposals – the so-called “list des points prévus” – lacks outstanding environmental legislation. A package of measures to reduce the release of microplastics into the environment was originally scheduled to be presented tomorrow, Wednesday. However, the package is missing from the current agenda for the weekly Commission meeting.
The legislative package for “sustainable agricultural and food systems and resource use“, which was scheduled for early June, has now also apparently been canceled. Planned were a soil health law, regulation for genetically modified plants, a revision of the Waste Framework Directive with regard to the handling of food waste and textiles, and a revision of legislation on seeds.
It is not known if or when the proposed legislations will be introduced now. luk
Climate & Environment
BMWK consults on bureaucratic obstacles at EU level
Yesterday, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) launched a consultation on bureaucratic obstacles at EU level in the area of ecological transformation. Until July 3, associations, organizations, companies and citizens are invited to participate via an online questionnaire. There, they can name existing or missing EU regulations that currently lead to bureaucratic obstacles and unnecessarily hinder measures or investments.
The focus is on the following areas:
Renewable energies;
Recycling and circular economy;
Climate-neutral economy;
Hydrogen economy;
Low-emission mobility;
Energy-efficient buildings;
Investments in the future and climate.
“We must now consistently tackle the reduction of bureaucratic barriers to the ecological transformation at EU level in order to accelerate the ecological transformation“, said State Secretary Sven Giegold. “We want to identify barriers that exist in EU law with the consultation and advocate for regulatory improvements in the next step“. leo
Climate & Environment
Renewable energies
Electricity market: Casares wants to give preference to low-income households
In his compromise proposal, Nicolás González Casares (S&D), the rapporteur for the reform of the electricity market, has advocated a redistribution of revenues from CfDs in favor of the lowest-income households. The European Commission argues for an equal distribution of revenues.
In the negotiating text, obtained by the French news magazine Contexte, the Socialist tightens the definition of bilateral Contracts for Difference (“CfDs”) compared to the European Commission’s proposal. The distribution of revenues from CfDs should not be evenly distributed to all consumers, the rapporteur demands. Priority should be given to the lowest-income consumers, he said. Casares also envisages that the revenues should go toward energy-saving measures and be used to finance the CfDs themselves.
As a reminder, CfDs are long-term contracts with prices guaranteed by the state. Investors participate in a bidding process based on the guaranteed price they are willing to accept. If the wholesale price of electricity is below that price, they receive a subsidy to cover the loss they would likely incur on the sale. If it is above that, the state retains the profit, which is then divided among electricity consumers.
Simplified procedures for PPAs
The Commission had proposed skimming off excess profits from new generation plants in times of high electricity prices and distributing the revenues equally to all electricity customers, depending on consumption. From the member states, the Council Presidency’s new text proposal states that companies should receive at most as many returns from these two-sided contracts for differences as corresponds to their total share of electricity consumption. In addition, all companies would have to receive the same discount per kilowatt hour.
In addition, the Commission’s proposal seeks to establish CfDs as the only form of allowable public support for renewable energy and nuclear generation. For Rapporteur Casares, however, these CfDs should not be the only types of long-term contracts supported. He also backs the development of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). These are private treaty contracts between two private parties.
To this end, the Commission should develop “standard PPAs” with a simplified procedure that is more accessible to SMEs. To this end, a central platform for the exchange of PPAs is to be established. If they benefit from a government guarantee, as envisaged by the Commission, these PPAs must be used exclusively for trading renewable electricity. Nuclear power would therefore be excluded from this guarantee system.
Dissent around capacity market
In its proposal, the Commission defines the capacity market as an exception. Casares, on the other hand, wants these mechanisms, which remunerate available capacity, “to be considered as a structural element”. German MEP Michael Bloss (Greens) opposes this. He fears that nuclear, gas and coal will receive public money in the long term without their needs being regularly reviewed. “These are life-extending measures for the climate killers par excellence”, he said. Such a capacity market would be expensive for all consumers and a brake on the energy transition, he added.
MEPs have until May 23 to submit amendments. On the same day, the Energy Committee (ITRE) will hold a first debate on the Socialist’s report. cst
Electricity market
European Parliament
Bank bailout: Lindner criticizes EU proposal
The EU Commission’s push to strengthen crisis management in the banking sector has met with some criticism from the German government. According to information from Table.Media, Berlin is basically behind the Brussels efforts. However, the Commission’s approach envisages very far-reaching changes to the existing regulatory framework. This is neither necessary, nor is there any justification for it. Minister for Finance Christian Lindner intends to present the German position today at the meeting of EU finance ministers.
The Commission had recently proposed extending the EU rules on the resolution to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to improve crisis management at banks. The Brussels-based authority also wants to broaden deposit protection. In the future, protection should also apply to public institutions such as hospitals, schools and municipalities. The EU authority is aiming to do the same for customer funds deposited by investment companies, payment institutions or e-money institutions in certain types of customer funds.
Berlin is particularly critical of the extension of the resolution rules to small enterprises. In Germany, as in many other member states, there are established and well-functioning institutional protection systems, and these should not be put up for discussion without good reason. Instead, the focus should be on medium-sized banks.
With regard to deposit insurance, the German government is reluctant to use the funds from the guarantee for a much broader deposit guarantee. This would create the wrong incentives. Instead, targeted solutions should be sought where deposit protection needs to be improved. cr
EU
European Commission
Gentiloni: Europe’s economy doing better than expected
The EU Commission is more optimistic about the economic outlook in the eurozone than it was in winter. At the same time, it expects inflation to remainstubbornly high. The Brussels-based authority expects gross domestic product (GDP) in the countries of the monetary union to grow by 1.1 percent in 2023, according to the spring forecast presented on Monday. In February, it had estimated only 0.9 percent.
The economy has coped well with the risks arising from the war in Ukraine and has proved resilient: Significantly lower energy prices were making themselves felt and reducing companies’ costs, the report continued, adding that the European economy was in better shape than had been assumed in the fall, said EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni.
In Brussels’ view, however, there has been no change in the bleak prospects for the German economy: It is likely to grow by only 0.2 percent, as already forecast in the winter. The Italian daily “La Stampa” had reported on the unchanged forecast figure in advance, citing insiders in Brussels.
Inflation of 5.8 percent in the eurozone
The EU Commission expects price pressures to remain high for longer. “Inflation has proven more persistent than expected”, Gentiloni said. The Commission expects Germany to have an inflation rate (HICP) of 6.8 percent in 2023, calculated for European comparisons, compared with 6.3 percent it had predicted in February. For the eurozone, it now estimates inflation of 5.8 percent, up from 5.6 percent in the winter forecast.
Accordingly, inflation rates are likely to remain quite high next year in Germany at 2.7 percent and in the eurozone at 2.8 percent. The European Central Bank is aiming for a rate of 2.0 percent for the eurozone in the medium term, which is considered ideal for the economy.
ECB Chief Economist Philip Lane expects the upward pressure on prices in the eurozone to ease significantly in the course of the year. For the ECB, the battle against the ongoing price surge has not yet been won. In April, the inflation rate actually rose slightly to 7.0 percent, after falling to 6.9 percent as recently as March – from 8.5 percent in February. rtr
EU
European Commission
Mariya Gabriel resigns, Vestager and Schinas take over
Mariya Gabriel has tendered her resignation as EU research commissioner. The Bulgarian was officially tasked Monday with forming a governing coalition in her home country. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accepted the resignation and thanked Gabriel for her work.
The center-right politician was initially Commissioner for Digital Affairs from 2017 and took over the Research, Innovation and Education, Culture and Youth portfolio in 2019. Gabriel’s duties will be taken over by Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager and Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, von der Leyen announced. Vestager will beresponsible for innovation and research, while Schinaswill take over education, culture and youth. luk
EU
European Commission
Slovakia: Civil servant government to calm domestic politics
Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová on Monday appointed a government of civil servants led by the non-party financial expert Ľudovít Ódor. The 46-year-old former deputy governor of the National Bank of Slovakia is to lead the country until a new government emerges from the parliamentary election on Sept. 30.
Ódor’s cabinet of experts replaces the conservative-populist minority government under Eduard Heger. Heger’s government was toppled in December by a vote of no confidence and has since been in office only on a provisional basis.
Slovakia, which borders Ukraine, is one of the neighboring country’s staunchest political and military supporters. Čaputová has ensured that the new government will continue on this course by filling key portfolios. The new foreign minister is Miroslav Wlachovský, who has worked as a diplomat in Washington and London, among other places.
Ongoing dispute in the coalition
The Ministry of Defense was taken over by security and defense expert Martin Sklenár, who has also represented Slovakia as a diplomat in Washington and at the Slovak EU representation in Brussels.
According to the president’s will, Ódor is to calm down domestic politics, which have recently been marked by hostilities between the parties. The ongoing quarrels within the previous governing coalition had already become unbearable for the public, the president said at the swearing-in ceremony. Ódor promised a calm administration guided by professional competence. Like any new government, his cabinet must face a vote of confidence in parliament within 30 days. dpa
Opinion
How to turn away from the ideology of unlimited growth
Written by Members of the EU Parliament
More than 4,000 people will gather this week – in the European Parliament and online – for the Beyond Growth 2023 conference. The event is a cross-campaign initiative to which we, as Members of the European Parliament from five different political groups, are inviting together with more than 60 partner organizations.
The goal of the three-day conference is to question the traditional solution patterns of the EU institutions and to work towards a new orientation of social goals. To this end, we have recruited high-ranking speakers from the EU’s decision-making bodies as well as representatives from academia, trade unions, business and civil society.
For us, it is clear: Our economic model must say goodbye to a dangerous orientation toward economic growth as the sole basis for development. The current economic model, which is geared towards endless growth, has already reached its limits.
Economic system prone to crises
On the one hand, because steady economic growth – especially when based on the consumption of fossil fuels – leads to global warming with catastrophic consequences. On the other hand, because limitless growth implies the exploitation of natural resources, the destruction of biodiversity, and an accumulation of waste and pollutants in the environment.
But the current economic model also fuels social inequality and exclusion. The focus on the goal of economic growth has notbrought about a fair distribution of wealth or opportunities for prosperity. Wealth and power are concentrated in the hands of a few, while more and more citizens are left behind. In addition, the pursuit of growth at all costs has produced a global economic system that is highly vulnerable to crises and shocks.
More pluralism in EU economic thinking
We are united by the conviction that we urgently need an economic system that prioritizes human well-being and environmental sustainability over GDP growth. What is needed is a model that offers a way out of the continuous exploitation of resources and the constant increase in production and consumption.
More pluralism in economic thinking is also needed in theEU institutions. The findings of climate and environmental research and the social sciences must be fully taken into account. Political rule-making must be geared to jointly defined objectives and not to fluctuations in GDP indicators.
Green Deal fails to recognize limits to growth
In particular, we propose that the following overarching goals be pursued in the EU institutions and member states:
The development of a European agenda for a way of doing business that is aligned with social, environmental and economic goals and places them above the goal of unlimited growth. The European Green Deal is an important and necessary step, but it does not recognize the limits to growth. A new strategy must consistently prioritize the goals of environmental sustainability, social justice and well-being.
The use of pluralistic indicators and macroeconomic models in the EU and member states. European policy must be based on progress indicators beyond GDP, use macroeconomic models that recognize planetary boundaries and focus on social well-being, and develop appropriate budgetary instruments.
The move away from the ideology of unlimited growth must alsobe reflected in our institutional structure. We therefore propose the establishment of a Directorate-General for Sustainability and Wellbeing in the European Commission, a special committee on the future beyond growth in the European Parliament, and ministries for economic transition in the member states.
Public interest in a sustainable European economy is greater than ever. The Beyond Growth conference can be the starting point for a political debate that meets the expectations of Europe’s citizens. We are convinced: Finding ways to a good life that respects the limits of the planet and our societies is more than a pious wish – it is an absolute necessity.
Jointly signed by:
Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA)
Philippe LAMBERTS (BE), Bas EICKHOUT (NL), Ville NIINISTÖ (FI), Manuela RIPA (DE), Marie TOUSSAINT (FR), Ernest URTASUN (ES), Kim VAN SPARRENTAK (NL)
The Left Group in the European Parliament – (LEFT)
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D)
Pascal DURAND (FR), Aurore LALUCQ (FR), Pierre LARROUTUROU (FR)
Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP)
Sirpa PIETIKÄINEN (FI), Maria WALSH (IE)
Renew Europe Group (RE)
Katalin CSEH (HR)
Fractionless (NI)
Dino GIARRUSSO (IT)
Climate & Environment
Economy
European Parliament
European policy
Nature Conservation
Dessert
Von der Leyen and the Club of Rome
Ursula von der Leyen is currently receiving a lot of encouragement for her (as yet undeclared) quest for a second term in office. “All hail Queen Ursula!” was a recent headline in a Brussels gossip magazine. Friedrich Merz and Markus Söder also praise the Commission President. Otherwise, however, the CDU politician is heartily unpopular in her own political camp. “Where is the difference between her and Toni Hofreiter?”, asks a well-known CDU/CSU member of the Bundestag.
In fact, the boundaries between von der Leyen and the Greens sometimes blur, as was the case yesterday at the Beyond Growth conference in the European Parliament in Brussels. Five years ago, her predecessor Jean-Claude Juncker, also a Christian Democrat, had turned down the invitation “rather rudely”, reported the hosting Green co-faction leader Philippe Lamberts.
Von der Leyen’s speech ‘pretty scary‘
Von der Leyen, on the other hand, didn’t just appear at the event. She even quoted the Club of Rome’s report on the “Limits to Growth“, published 50 years ago, and said, to jeers from the mostly young audience, “that the fossil-fuel-based growth model is simply outdated”.
Sandrine Dixson-Declève could hardly believe her ears: it was already “pretty scary”, said the co-president of the Club of Rome, that the acting president of the Commission had anticipated half of what she herself had wanted to say.
But only half of it: Dixson-Declève then railed against a “dangerous obsession with growth” as the cause of today’s polycrisis. Von der Leyen, on the other hand, is backing clean energies and a circular economy as “our new growth model”. So EPP campaign strategists need not fear that their (undeclared) candidate will soon overtake the Greens on the left – a small consolation. Till Hoppe
