Sweden is trying to overthrow the Restoration Act – the collapse of heavy member states – Altenget

Looks like it will be a stormy day in the Cabinet.

On Wednesday, EU ambassadors will meet, among other things, to reach a compromise on nature restoration regulations. But the conditions are not the easiest. Despite the fact that, according to Altinget’s information, the Swedish presidency promised to draw up a new compromise proposal, none of it came to the table of the member states.

In practice, this makes work very difficult.

According to several mutually independent sources among other member states, it must be because the Swedish government, led by, among others, the EPP, M and KD party, is now trying to back away from ambitions for a compromise next week. . Environment Minister meeting.

Rather than seek a compromise, the issue has reportedly been reduced to an “update report”. According to a source from the SD party, which has long been critical of its own party, the proposal should be removed entirely from the Swedish pending agenda.

This action arouses great indignation on the part of a number of heavyweight member states.

“It is a real coup by the Swedish presidency,” she wrote. Belgian Environment Minister Zakia Al-Khattabi.

Violent protests

Germany, France and Spain, the country’s next president, lodged formal protests. They also have the support of countries like Luxembourg, according to Alting data.

In the background there are several aspects.

On the one hand, there is the risk of delaying the entire regulatory framework due to the fact that it will be too late to agree at the next meeting of the Minister of Environment in October so that we can finish the negotiations before the elections. Thus, the EU’s answer to how to reach the UN’s biodiversity targets hangs very loosely, as there is no time for a new set of regulations in time for the union to meet the 2030 targets. In part, the negotiations have been acrimonious. There are continuing difficulties in fully agreeing on certain points – among others relating to requirements that must be put in place in order to “cause no further damage to nature already exposed”, according to Alting’s information.

But at the same time, several sources among the member states, such as the Belgian Minister of the Environment, believe that there is already a qualified majority for the proposal, which means that there is no official obstacle to signaling the presidency to remove the proposal. from the agenda.

Put a lot of gunpowder in earlier

The Swedish presidency also worked very intensively during the spring to obtain the proposal and won several victories in the negotiations.

According to other information, Sweden should get some support from a number of countries for its business. Among others, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Malta, Finland, Austria and Ireland are mentioned.

As chair, Sweden also has the opportunity to delete and change items on the agenda around the time of the start of the meeting.

Spain can change conditions

But the consequences can be wide ranging. With things already shaky in the European Parliament, the proposal is now on shaky ground as a result of the government’s actions as president.

However, next Wednesday’s meeting between EU ambassadors is not the last before next week’s meeting of environment ministers. Another meeting is scheduled for Friday as well, when the matter can also be put on the agenda. It has not yet been confirmed that the case exists yet.

At the same time, the Swedish action does not have to mean the end. Because the Spanish presidency in power also has the possibility to call an additional meeting of the Council of Ministers to take a position on this issue. They shouldn’t back out of taking the action if that happens, according to Altinget’s information.

Alting is seeking several representatives from the Tidö collaboration for further comment.