How a green recovery can help modernise Europe

(EurActiv, 26 Mar 2020) EU institutions and member states must act quickly and coherently in response to the COVID-19 crisis, writes Mats Engström. He suggests six points to consider when EU institutions work out post-crisis recovery plans.

Mats Engström is senior adviser at the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies (Sieps).

The climate crisis does not disappear because we are now facing an immediate health threat. On the contrary, there are benefits from meeting the urgent situation today with measures that also promote sustainability.

Some voices have been raised to ditch the Green Deal and weaken EU climate policies. It is encouraging that this is not the view of the Commission. Hopefully, Member State governments will agree. Environmental policy has survived earlier crises and is today a key part of European integration, providing legitimacy and global influence.

These are difficult times with many uncertainties. Still, the European institutions and the Member States have to act quickly and as coherently as possible. Here are six points to consider in the current rapid decision-making.

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EurActiv, 26 Mar 2020: How a green recovery can help modernise Europe