Walking in the parks of Brussels, a new trend is in full bloom: the ‘rewilding’ of the green city spaces of Europe’s capital. This is the practice when parks are allowed to develop naturally. It allows for a greater variety of plants to grow, flowers to blossom and bees to return. It promotes biodiversity, improves air quality and educates park-goers. Such richness is thanks to a good environmental policy.

Now, the same ‘rewilding’ seems to be happening in the European institutions themselves. Last Wednesday, in Strasbourg, MEPs voted on the size of the Parliament’s 20 committees. The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) has, for the first time, become the biggest committee, with 76 members and the same number of substitutes. This is a clear sign that environmental concerns and, even more importantly, the desire to develop environmental legislation are at the top of the political agenda. Again, this is thanks to good environmental policy.

Over the last five years, the European Commission has set the environmental agenda based on the principle ‘a Europe that protects’. Each and every one of the more than 500 million people in the European Union deserve high-quality air, safe and reliable drinking water and the efficient and smart use of our precious resources.

With that as our motivation, we delivered clear messages on the standards we expect of member states, regions and cities on clean air and the consequences of falling short. We have extended the basic provision of clean water to everyone living in the EU. We have launched a world leading strategy to make our economy more circular. Materials such as plastics have to be used in a way that reduces the harm on land, at sea and for people.

The ‘rewilding’ of the European Institutions is not restricted to the Parliament. The adoption of the European Council’s Strategic Agenda for 2019-2024 has green issues at its heart. European leaders have committed to redoubling efforts to tackle climate change, the loss of biodiversity and other pressing environmental issues.

EU citizens, especially the young generation, are demanding strong and effective action on environment protection. It was part of the surge in turnout at the European elections and that surge is an urgent call for more action.

The last five years have seen the Commission emphasise how precious our planet’s resources are. This mandate has shown people that a strong environmental policy is not just achievable but can be seen in everyday lives. Cities no longer choked with traffic are an increasing reality. Reusability is part of the production cycle. Our responsibility for our planet is now a given.

Evaluations of key environmental policies, including those related to air, water and chemicals, provide a platform for a future zero pollution strategy.

I am very proud that the environmental policies we have introduced, the partnerships we have built and the standards we have set have given us this opportunity to ‘rewild’ the European Union and I am looking forward to seeing the EU institutions develop and nurture this rich and diverse terrain. It is in all our interest.

 

Karmenu Vella is the European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries