Europe: a positive result for the Belgian presidency

EU Member States take it in turns to hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union, and as each turn comes around every 13.5 years, every country has time to prepare well in advance for this special event. Following its last presidency in 2010, this year was Belgium's turn to come forward and guide the Council's work from 1 January to 30 June 2024. This presidency promised to be a busy one, with geopolitical news and the European elections. The teams had to demonstrate increased adaptability to cope with unforeseen challenges, and exemplary organisation to finalise ongoing files in time for the start of a new legislature. And our country lived up to expectations: in terms of environmental issues, progress has been made on important themes such as the fight against climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.

Ten key agreements to advance the ecological transition

The top priority was to pursue the EU's political initiatives under the European Green Deal.

The presidency concluded a number of trilogue agreements to protect our soils, improve the quality of our water and air, make our packaging safer and more sustainable, better manage our waste, restore our nature and combat greenwashing. Trilogues take place at the end of the legislative process. They are meetings that bring together representatives of the European Parliament and the Council (co-legislators), as well as the Commission (mediator between the parties). A trilogue agreement means that the legislative text is acceptable to both the Council and the Parliament. Here is the complete list of trilogue agreements concluded under the Belgian presidency:  

• Guidelines for more effective monitoring of our urban wastewater 
• Regulation to tighten CO2 emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles     
• Directive to improve air quality 
• Regulation to make packaging and packaging waste safer and more sustainable by 2030    
• Regulation for a European carbon removals certification framework 
• Mercury regulation, to prohibit the use of dental amalgam and other mercury-added products  

The Belgian presidency also managed to reach compromises between the 27 members on various issues. Although less advanced than an agreement, these preliminary Council positions (also known as 'general approaches') provide a solid basis for future negotiations between the different European legislative bodies with a view to adopting draft legislation. These are the files concerned:  

• Directive on soil monitoring for sustainable soil management in the EU  
• Revision of the waste framework directive with a focus on textile and food waste 
• Directive on the substantiation and communication of environmental claims 
• Directive on priority substances in water 

Finally, the Council formally adopted the nature restoration law thanks to the perseverance of the Belgian Presidency which put again on the agenda the adoption of the text. This law aims to put measures in place to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. 

Encouraging action in 3 key areas

Over the past six months, the Belgian presidency has also been working hard to raise awareness among local, European and international players of three key issues linked to the ecological transition: adaptation and resilience, a just transition and the circular economy. To this end, it has organised a number of events bringing together political decision-makers and experts from all over Europe, with the aim of fostering dialogue on these issues. These events include the informal Council of European Environment Ministers, Belgian Renovation Week and Belgian Soil Week, as well as the 3rd Forum of the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change and an event on the potential of nature-based solutions. All these events were co-organised by Brussels Environment.  

Particular emphasis was placed on adaptation and resilience to the effects of climate change. Several working groups at European level held presentations and discussions on climate risk management. The aim was not to limit the dialogue to the environmental sphere alone, but to extend it beyond that, as the climate challenge requires a cross-disciplinary response and the involvement of all sectors of our economy. The Belgian presidency's teams made the areas of energy, civil protection, tourism, finance and budget, health and industry aware of the urgency of climate risks, the growing cost of inaction and the need for a systemic political response, including at EU level. The Belgian presidency drew on two publications issued during its term to promote these themes:     

• The European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA) report, published by the European Environment Agency on 11 March  
• Communication on managing climate risks, published by the European Commission on 12 March 2024  

Debates on the future of European environmental policy 

Finally, the presidency stimulated reflection on the future of EU climate and environment policies. The presidency drew on the mid-term review of the 8th Environment Action Programme published by the European Commission on 13 March.    

The Belgian presidency also focused in particular on the review of the 8th Environment Action Programme, an essential roadmap for European environmental policy. To this end, it invited the 27 members to reflect together on the political approaches to be passed on to the next legislature. The key message is to make environmental protection a priority for the years to come. This message is reflected in a series of recommendations adopted on 17 June 2024 by the Council of European Environment Ministers. These recommendations can be viewed on the Council of the European Union's website.

From Brussels to Budapest

These are great achievements, then, for the Belgian presidency, continuing the work of the Green Deal, reaching tangible agreements and laying the foundations for future negotiations. These achievements will enable the legislative process to move forward and convert this draft legislation into strong measures, moving towards a healthy, fair and sustainable environment for all citizens.

Hungary will now take the reins, assuming the presidency of the Council of the European Union until 31 December 2024. The first European ministerial meeting is scheduled for 11 and 12 July 2024, with the informal Council of European Environment Ministers to be held in Budapest.  

The Brussels-Capital Region's Minister for the Environment will continue to represent Belgium at the Council of the European Union until 31 December 2024.