An obscure investment agreement, the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), threatens to undermine bold climate action to transform Europe’s energy system. But as negotiations begin for the reform of the treaty, this paper asks, is it beyond repair? When it comes to ending its protection for fossil fuels, and scrapping investor rights for climate-damaging industries, the …
Thriving civic space for strong European democracy
Civil society organisations have a critical role to play in a healthy democracy – bringing people’s voices to decision-making, and holding governments, institutions and corporations to account. Regrettably civil society rights are under threat globally, including in Europe. The Friends of the Earth Europe network is experiencing shrinking space in all its forms. This briefing …
10 priorities to transform EU waste policy
We still live in a linear wasteful economy – the EU need to accelerate a systemic transition to a true circular economy, to drastically reduce the EU’s absolute natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions. With the Prevent Waste coalition of European civil society organisations, we advocate for the improvement and enforcement of EU policies …
How the EU can stop plastic pollution for good
Plastic is one of the fastest-growing pollutants in the world, and citizens are calling for solutions. The EU has taken important steps to restrict single-use plastics, but this is just a start. We call on the EU to step-up its actions and show global leadership to tackle plastic pollution at source.
Civil society organisations demand ‘fossil free politics’
A civil society statement, supported by nearly 200 organisations worldwide declaring: “We are facing a climate emergency, created by the fossil fuel industry. We demand fossil free politics.” Similar to existing restrictions on tobacco industry lobbyists, we need a firewall that protects our democratic institutions and our decision-making from fossil fuel industry interference: no more …
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Big oil and gas buying influence in Brussels
With money and meetings, subsidies and sponsorships, the oil and gas lobby is fuelling the climate disaster. Since 2010, just five oil and gas corporations and their fossil fuel lobby groups have spent at least a quarter of a billion euros buying influence at the heart of European decision-making. This briefing exposes not just the …
