Commission guts environmental laws under pressure from the right and lobbyists

"This proposal is not a simplification but simply strips environmental laws. Transparency about hazardous substances in our products disappears, the water and energy consumption of mega farms disappears from view, and accelerated permits make nature protection subordinate."

Brussels, 10 December 2025 - The European Commission is proposing a simplification package of environmental laws today. According to Sara Matthieu, Environmental Coordinator for the European Greens, our nature and our health are being sacrificed: "This proposal is not a simplification but simply strips environmental laws. Transparency about hazardous substances in our products disappears, the water and energy consumption of mega farms disappears from view, and accelerated permits make nature protection subordinate. Legislation that was made based on scientific studies and impact assessments is now being stripped under pressure from the right and lobbyists."

The proposal reduces reporting obligations for industry and large livestock farms, and scraps the requirement for transformation plans for industry. "Mega farms are mega polluting - think of methane that causes global warming, but also ammonia and nitrate that poison our air and water," says Matthieu.
"Yet the agro-lobby succeeds once again in keeping part of its environmental impact out of sight. We all want clean swimming water in our rivers, but then fail to actually make those rivers clean. By not tackling the growing pollution, nature, our health and the climate suffer."

Accelerated permitting procedures

The Commission also proposes to accelerate permitting procedures for "future strategic projects". Matthieu warns: "Faster permits for electricity networks? Fine. But this proposal goes much further and also opens the door for future 'strategic projects', which could for instance be new roads for housing. We have spent months negotiating the Nature Restoration Law - that work must not be undermined by a blank check for accelerated procedures without investigating the environmental impact."

Database for PFAS and toxic substances in products scrapped

The Commission also wants to scrap the database that informs citizens and companies about substances of very high concern in products such as furniture, electronics and toys. "The European Commission is tone-deaf to the concerns of citizens," says Matthieu. "More and more people are worried about chemical substances such as PFAS in their food, drinking water and swimming areas. And what does the Commission do? It proposes yet another proposal that weakens health and environmental protection. Our group will fight back to build a majority to stop this cover-up culture."

Nature Restoration Law remains standing

After years of negotiation, the Nature Restoration Law was still in danger of being stripped. Thanks to pressure from the Greens together with civil society, this legislation remained outside the omnibus.

"In our letter of 3 December, we set a clear red line: the Nature Restoration Law must remain standing. The Commission has listened to this," says Matthieu. "If we push hard enough together with progressives and environmental organisations, we can prevent the worst dismantling of nature protection."