Environment policy in the European Union
As catastrophic wildfires sweep across Southern Europe, WWF warns that the EU is sleepwalking into a permanent wildfire crisis while simultaneously weakening key environmental protections that help safeguard people, economies and nature from climate impacts.
Greenhouse gas emissions from the EU’s economy and households were estimated at 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2025, covering all economic activities and households combined – a 17.2 per cent decrease compared with 2015.
The vast majority of bathing waters in Europe met the European Union’s most stringent ‘excellent’ bathing quality standards in 2025, according to the EU’s latest annual Bathing Water report.
The Cyprus Council Presidency’s new EU budget proposal is a positive first step for Europe’s energy security and climate resilience, but it is not enough to end its costly dependence on fossil fuels, restore nature, and ensure economic stability.
The EU Council and Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on amendment to the market stability reserve for the new emissions trading system for the buildings, road transport and additional sectors.
Recent No Patents on Seeds! research shows an alarming trend in the monopolisation of naturally occurring gene variants, especially those which can provide improved resistance to disease and stress conditions.
The EU has made significant strides on many of its sustainable development goals, according to a 2026 monitoring of EU progress released Wednesday by the EU’s statistics agency Eurostat.
