Curtain falls on the Belgian presidency

The way forward to a green, just and inclusive transition for a sustainable Europe

The European Union's green transition agenda is driven by the urgent need to address the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, coupled with the necessity to achieve a fair, resilient and circular society. For the last six months, our FPS supported the work of the Belgian presidency to stay on course towards achieving these goals and promote the "One World One Health" principle.

The Belgian presidency has successfully ensured the adoption of a series of EU policy proposals to carry on the implementation of the "Green Deal". Our country also laid the foundations for the future of the EU's environmental agenda beyond 2024, placing at the heart of Union's priorities : climate mitigation, resilience, and risk preparedness, as well as circular economy, sustainable resource management, a toxic free environment, and the conservation, and restoration of nature and biodiversity, while ensuring inclusivity and leaving no one behind. The Belgian presidency has notably paved the way for the adoption of the Council conclusions on the mid-term review of the 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP). It also played a key role in drawing up the EU's strategic programme for the period 2024-2029, underscoring the importance of decisive and holistic action to ensure a green and just transition.

Climate Change: Paving the way for a climate-neutral and resilient society

To achieve the EU's long-term climate objective under the Paris Agreement and make the European Green Deal a reality, our country managed to reach an agreement between the Council and the European Parliament on a series of European policy initiatives, such as the Carbon Removals Certification Framework Directive or the CO2 standards for heavy duty vehicles Regulation.

The Belgian presidency also conducted discussions on the future of European climate policy. Our FPS notably organized an EU ministerial eventto discuss post-2030 climate policy and share reflections on the EU's climate target for 2040, paving the way for a climate-neutral society by 2050. In April, the new Belgian Centre for Climate and Environment Risk Assessment hosted a joint event in partnership with the European Environment Agency (EEA) called 'Unlocking resilience through climate and environment risk assessments' to facilitate the debate on national and Union's adaptive and preparedness capacities to climate change. Adaptation and resilience have been one of the Belgian presidency's main priorities, a key discussion also reflected in the European Commission's Communicationon managing climate-related risks and the European Climate Risk Assessment carried out by the EEA.

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On the international stage, several FPS experts participated in United Nations Climate meetings in Bonn (SB 60) to represent and coordinate the EU's position, ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) this November in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Biodiversity Loss: Maintaining a high-level of ambition in the EU and the world

The presidency has carried on the work on the EU's Green Deal policy initiatives with the formal adoption of the Nature Restoration Law that sets specific targets and obligations to restore at least 20% of the EU's land and sea areas by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. EU Environment Ministers also formally adopted a general approach on the Soil Monitoring Directive to put the EU on a pathway to healthy soils by 2050.

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The FPS organized various events to advance proposals that could be considered in the formulation and implementation of EU environmental legislation, policies and initiatives. This was notably the case for the 'Border controls on Invasive Alien Species (IAS)' event (co-organised with the IUCN and the European Commission) where Member State's officers convened for the first time to discuss ways to better enforce border controls and prevent the introduction of IAS into the European Union. The FPS also organized an event on 'Regenerative Development for transformative change', to delve into the ways in which this concept can enrich the implementation of existing approaches and tools (circular economy, just transition, nature-based solutions…) and future EU legislations, emphasizing the crucial role of nature and biodiversity in building a sustainable future.

Next to the EU's legislative agenda, the FPS has also greatly contributed to the Belgian presidency's efforts to maintain a high level of ambition in relation to the EU's international commitments on biodiversity, notably by leading the EU during the SBI-4 & SBSTTA-26meetings in the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to prepare CBD COP 16 in Cali, Colombia in October.

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At our Blue Leaders high-level event'BBNJ - From multilateral success to game-changer for the ocean', the Belgian presidency called for the swift ratification and implementation of the UN Convention on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) or 'High Seas Treaty' to protect 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030. In that sense, the Council adopted in June a decision for the EU to conclude the Agreement. Our experts were also part of the Belgian presidency delegation to represent the EU at several UN ocean negotiations meetings and conferences.

By preparing and leading the negotiations on behalf of the EU, working closely with the European Commission and the other member states, the FPS contributed to the adoption of important measures to protect migratory species and improve ecological connectivity at the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP 14) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. After intense efforts of the presidency's team, agreement was found on a Ministerial declaration at the at the 6th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) - the supreme decision-making body on environmental matters. The Assembly also adopted 8 decisions and 15 resolutions, including two EU resolutions on strengthening water policies and ocean efforts to tackle the triple crisis.

Zero Pollution: Accelerating the green transition towards a toxic free environment, circular economy, and sustainable resource use

The Belgian presidency has carried forward negotiations on several critical dossiers relating to the circular economy and the fight against pollution. Final compromise texts of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, the Ambient Air Quality Directive, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and the Mercury Regulation have been approved.

EU Environment Ministers also reached a general approach on the proposed Green Claims Directive that aims to protect consumers from greenwashing by setting minimum requirements for environmental claims and labels. The same applies to the proposal to revise the Waste Framework Directive, specifically focusing on the textile and food sectors. At the high-level event 'Threads of Change: Systemic Transformation of the Textile Sector', co-hosted with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), our FPS explicitly highlighted the importance of a paradigm shift towards a more circular, sustainable, and just textile sector.

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Similarly, our FPS pushed the Commission to keep a high level of ambition in the implementation of the Sustainable Chemicals Strategy of the Union. At the high-level conference "Tomorrow's Chemicals Policy: Perspectives and Challenges", more than 200 policymakers, business leaders and federations, NGOs, academics, and EU representatives reflected on the EU and global policy achievements. At the core of the discussions were also the remaining challenges that lie ahead in the field of chemicals policy for a safer and toxic-free environment.

The Belgian presidency has also placed the circular economy at the heart of its priorities to consolidate the strong implementation of strategic priorities related to sustainable resources management (EU Green Deal & Circular Economy Action Plan). The ambition is also to reposition the concept in the political debate and launch discussions on the next steps post-2024, to lay the foundations for an EU framework on circular economy and sustainable management of limited resources. The aim is to accelerate the green transition towards a circular and clean economy in the EU that lowers pressures on natural resources and ecosystems and contributes to the overall objective of EU climate neutrality by 2050, with the additional benefit of being an economic and industrial accelerator for Europe.

Internationally, several of our pilots coordinated the European position during the 4th session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to develop a new treaty on plastic pollution that took place in Ottawa, Canada. The Belgian presidency and the European Union supported an ambitious position covering the entire plastic life cycle, from the production of plastic to the end of life. The Committee's goal is to conclude an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, by the end of the year. Belgium also played a leading role in shaping the EU's position before and during the OEWG-3 in Geneva, where UN member states discussed the establishment of a new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution.

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