Document OJz25pbB9y7nn1MR5MNERLpm1

EEB European Environmental Bureau H Ref. Ares(2021 )4385154 - 06/07/2021 Ref. Ares(2023)3666686 - 26/05/2023 Ms Ursula von der Leyen President European Commission Rue de la Loi 200 1049 Brussels Belgium Dear President von der Leyen, Brussels, 6 July 2021 Re: Environmental Priorities under Slovenia's Presidency of the European Union It gives me great pleasure to send you a copy of the European Environmental Bureau's Memorandum to the incoming Slovenian Presidency of the European Union, setting out our hopes and aspirations with respect to the environment-related outcomes of the Presidency. Prepared in cooperation with Seas at Risk, the Memorandum addresses not only topics dealt with under the auspices of the Environment Council but also those dealt with by other Council configurations where these concern matters relating to or affecting the environment. Slovenia takes over the EU Presidency at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is steadily being brought under control, and while there is clearly a continuing need for vigilance and no room for complacency in the face of possible new variants, there is a real opportunity to increase the focus on 'building back bette, with the European Green Deal as a guiding compass in that endeavour. Particularly high-profile climate and environmental dossiers to be addressed during Slovenia's Presidency include the Fit for 55 Package which reforms a dozen climate-related policy files and the Zero Pollution Action Plan that has water, air and soil at its heart. Other files where the Slovenian Presidency will have important responsibility include the Batteries Law revision and Waste Shipment Regulation contributing to a more circular economy, the Forest Strategy and EU Pollinators Initiative that will hopefully contribute to biodiversity protection, the Mobility Package, the TEN-E Regulation and the greening of the European Semester as well as a new instrument on Sustainable Corporate Governance. The Slovenian Presidency will also lead the EU in a range of critically important international environmental fora, including the meetings of the governing bodies of international treaties on climate, biodiversity, chemicals and environmental democracy. The Memorandum has been prepared on behalf of a large constituency: the EEB's 170 member organizations, spread across more than 35 European countries and including a growing number of European networks, themselves have a combined individual membership of more than 30 million environmentally concerned citizens. We hope that in the coming months this document will serve as a European Environmental Bureau eeb@eeb.org www.eeb.org International non-profit association Association internationale sans but lucratif (AISBL) EC register for interest representatives: ID number: 06798511314-27 BCE ID number: 0415.814 848 RPM Tribunal de l'entreprise francophone de Bruxelles EEB European Environmental Bureau useful point of reference not only for the Slovenian Presidency but more widely throughout the Member States and within the EU institutions. The success of an EU Presidency depends upon a collective effort by all parties to the decision-making processes. In this context, we urge you to support the Slovenian Government in giving environmental issues the priority they deserve during its Presidency. We would of course welcome any reflections that you may have regarding the issues addressed in the Memorandum. Yours sincerely, Cc: College of Commissioners European Environmental Bureau International non-profit association ID number: 06798511314-27 Brussels, Belgium eeb@eeb.org www.eeb.org Association internationale sans but lucratif (AISBL) EC register for interest representatives: BCE ID number: 0415.814 848 RPM Tribunal de l'entreprise francophone de Bruxelles