Ø  The Commission adopted the following communications:

• On 20 March, Building the future with nature: Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU:  proposes a series of targeted actions to boost biotechnology and biomanufacturing in the EU.
• On 12 March, Managing climate risks - protecting people and prosperity: out how the EU and its Member States can better anticipate, understand, and address growing climate risks. It presents how they can prepare and implement policies that save lives, cut costs, and protect prosperity across the EU.
• On 10 April, taking stock of a series of Clean Transition Dialogues on transforming Europe into a clean, resource-efficient, fair and competitive economy: 9 Clean Transition Dialogues have taken place so far on hydrogen, energy-intensives industries, clean tech, energy infrastructure, critical raw materials, forest-based bioeconomy, cities, clean mobility, and steel.

Ø  The Commission adopted on 15 March a proposal for a regulation amending good agricultural and environmental condition standards, schemes for climate, environment and animal welfare. This simplification package exempts small farms from environmental compliance checks and penalties and includes changes to 6 of the 9 standards on which CAP’s payments depend, incl. cultivation techniques against soil degradation, ploughing sensitive grassland and share of arable land keeping existing landscape features.

Ø  As a response to the concerns voiced by farmers, the Council endorsed on 26 March a targeted review of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This review addresses issues encountered, for instance, with the implementation of the CAP strategic plans. It aims to deliver simplification, reduce the administrative burden, and provide greater flexibility for complying with certain environmental conditionalities. 

Ø  The nature restoration law, aiming to preserve 30% of Europe’s land and sea for biodiversity, is still pending Council’s approval: a “qualified majority” at least 55% of EU countries representing 65% of EU population is required, but as Hungary withdrew its support for the proposal on 24 March, and as the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, and Poland, also opposed it, this requirement has not been met yet. 

Ø  The Council adopted on 25 March the revision of the regulation on shipments of waste, including a ban on Member States exporting waste for disposal to third countries and on exporting hazardous waste destined for recovery in non-OECD countries.

Ø  The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive was endorsed by the EU Council on 15 March with amendments reducing original requirements, incl. for companies’ thresholds, chain of activities, companies’ liability exposure, company directors’ duty regarding climate change and sustainability.

Ø  On 26 March, the Council adopted a Directive on the protection of the environment through criminal law. The law presents an expanded list of offences and will improve the investigation and prosecution of environmental crime offences.

Ø  The Parliament adopted on 13 March the revised Directive to better prevent and reduce waste from food and textiles across the EU, with more ambitious 2030 targets of at least 20% in food processing and manufacturing (instead of 10% proposed by the Commission) and 40% per capita in retail, restaurants, food services and households (instead of 30%). This includes producers’ responsibility schemes for textiles, by which they would have to cover collecting, sorting and recycling costs.

Ø  The Council adopted on 18 March the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), establishing a framework to ensure secure and sustainable supply, incl. two lists of  critical and strategic materials for the green and digital transitions, as well as for the defence and space industries. 

Ø  On 18 March, the Council approved Conclusions on EU green diplomacy,  reaffirming EU’s commitment to promote a just and inclusive green transition through enhanced multilateralism and global action, incl. EU’s commitment to  address the climate-environment-security nexus.