The European Green Deal initiative, published in December 2019, lays out the foundation for a new growth strategy for Europe. It is equally at the centre of the EU Recovery Plan from the Covid-19 crisis currently ongoing.
The initiative aims to reach a climate-neutral Europe by 2050 to face the current and future environmental challenges. As part of the Green Deal strategy, the European Commission has recently adopted new strategies in different policies areas.
The Green Deal initiative is a key driver for the twin ecological and digital transitions that will affect every part of our economy, society and industry. The European digital transition is displayed in “A Europe fit for the digital age” strategy. These strategies shape Horizon Europe, the next EU framework programme for research and innovation.
A New Industrial Strategy for Europe
The European Commission released its new industrial strategy as part of the Green transition strategy and the Digital transition strategy: A New Industrial Strategy for Europe, that will help deliver on three key EU priorities:
- maintaining European industry’s global competitiveness,
- making Europe climate-neutral by 2050,
- shaping Europe’s digital future.
Among others, the strategy will support industry towards climate neutrality with a set of initiatives including the EU Strategy on Clean Steel and Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, EU Strategy on Clean Steel and the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability.
The strategy focuses as well on embedding circularity across the supply chain with the new Circular Economy Action Plan that focuses on sectors where this potential is high: electronics and ICT, batteries and vehicles, packaging, plastics, textiles, construction, and food.
EU biodiversity strategy for 2030
The EU biodiversity Strategy for 2030 – Bringing nature back into our life, adopted in May, is a long term plan for protecting nature and reversing the degradation of ecosystems. It aims at bringing benefits to people, the climate and the planet by enabling biodiversity recovery by 2030. The strategy is a central element to the EU recovery plan as well.
This Biodiversity Strategy aims to tackle key drivers of biodiversity loss. It proposes, among others, to:
- establish binding targets to restore damaged ecosystems and rivers,
- improve the health of EU protected habitats and species,
- bring back pollinators to agricultural land,
- reduce pollution and green our cities,
- enhance organic farming and other biodiversity-friendly farming practices,
- improve the health of European forests.
Funding of around €20 billion per year is to be unlocked for biodiversity through various sources, including EU funds, national and private funding.
Farm to Fork Strategy
The Farm to Fork Strategy – For a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system aims at enabling the transition to a sustainable EU food system that safeguards food security and ensures access to healthy diets sourced from a healthy planet.
Its purpose is to
- accelerate our transition to a sustainable food system that should have a neutral or positive environmental impact,
- help to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts,
- reverse the loss of biodiversity,
- ensure food security, nutrition and public health, making sure that everyone has access to sufficient, safe, nutritious, sustainable food and preserve affordability of food while generating fairer economic returns,
- foster competitiveness of the EU supply sector,
- promote fair trade
For further information, we are happy to discuss with you, feel free to contact Sanna Alaranta, Advisor – European R&D and Innovation Support.
Luxinnovation is the National Contact Point for Horizon 2020, the European framework programme for research and innovation. Building on our decade-long experience of EU funding programmes, we are able to respond to questions on where to get up-to-date information on programmes and calls for project proposals, what programmes are the most suitable for you or where and how to find European partners.