Candidate’s plans for Environment Commissioner?

The hearing of the candidate for the new Commissioner for the Environment, Water Scarcity Resilience and a Competitive Closed Circuit Economy, Jessica Roswall of Sweden, began at 6:30 pm on November 5, 2024.

The procedure stipulates that the Conference of Presidents is to conduct a final evaluation and announce the closing of hearings for commissioner candidates on November 21, 2024, after which the evaluation lists will be published. The election of the full College of Commissioners is scheduled for November 25-28, 2024. Members of the European Parliament will nominate them – formal approval will then follow.

In practice, Jessica Roswall’s candidacy has already been approved by the coordinators of the political groups, and thus the Swedish woman has fulfilled the condition for election as commissioner. The new European Commission, including the commissioner for the environment, should start work in early December 2024. What are the plans and priorities of the new commissioner? About this in the following part of the article.

Priorities of the new Commissioner for the Environment. environments

There is no more important task than delivering clear results that protect nature and the climate, create tangible benefits for citizens, and demonstrate real economic opportunities for our industry,” Jessica Roswall reported at the hearing.

The candidate for the new environment commissioner on November 5 be. presented her priorities, highlighting issues such as water management, support for sustainable agricultural practices and protection of biodiversity. During the hearing, she pledged to work toward the goal of protecting the environment and biodiversity while maintaining support for the economy and agriculture. She also referred to her experience during the Swedish presidency, when she made decisions on environmental legislation, i.e. Fit for 55, to demonstrate her commitment to environmental action.

During the hearing, Jessica Roswall pledged full commitment to all aspects of the European Green Deal policy. She pointed out the need to maintain high environmental standards, to meet zero pollution targets, and to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the closed-loop economy.

Jessika Roswall also pointed out the need to enforce the application of current regulations so that they have the ability to meet their goals and produce results and benefits. She pointed out the need for simplification that will not lead to deregulation, but will allow the implementation of regulations. She also declared the implementation of the European Union’s international commitments.

During the hearing, the future commissioner raised questions about the importance of financial support. In this area, she pointed out the role of working with international partners to raise funds, including through credits for nature. These credits would measure environmental parameters and reward those who improve the environment. She also announced the monitoring of pilot projects to prevent abuse. Jessica Roswall stressed the need to regain public trust and reconcile economic and environmental goals by supporting the economy and reducing bureaucracy.

Water resources management

The future commissioner identified water management as a key challenge, especially in the context of frequent flooding and drought. During the hearing, she pointed out that through the Water Resilience Initiative, a source-to-sea approach will be adopted and various challenges in our regions and sectors will be analyzed. She promised to make access to clean water for all citizens part of the equitable transformation agenda.She stressed that financing measures, especially in water management, is essential to avoid the high costs of neglect in the future.

She also mentioned that farmers are increasingly experiencing problems with water shortages, environmental degradation or the effects of climate change. Therefore, in her opinion, due to the need to protect the earth, food security or the social situation of farmers, it is necessary to work closely with this social group.

Agriculture

The Commissioner-designate highlighted the difficulties faced by farmers, expressing her willingness to promote and support sustainable practices and ensure them a fair income. During the discussion, she pointed out that support for the countryside is crucial to the prosperity and food security of the entire EU. She also declared her willingness to work with the Agriculture Commissioner, among others, to shape the vision for agriculture, including in efforts to reduce emissions.

During the discussion, Roswall expressed her willingness to closely collaborate and develop technologies to support sustainable agriculture in order to develop agricultural innovations that will reduce the environmental impact of agriculture while protecting family farms. Jessica Roswall stressed that she recognizes the importance and opportunities for agriculture and other sectors in the bioeconomy. She also stressed that farmers are key partners in protecting biodiversity, and that healthy ecosystems have an economic value that is difficult to value. In the context of the tool to be nature credits, she stressed that this is a challenge in which she sees potential for sustainable rural development.

Biodiversity

Jessica Roswall recognizes the importance of protecting natural resources. She stressed that the protection of biodiversity and the implementation of the Regulation on the Restoration of Natural Resources are intended to increase the resilience of the European Union (EU) and fulfill international obligations, but without adequate funding they will be ineffective. Therefore, the next EU budget perspective is an opportunity to increase the efficiency of spending. The Environment Commissioner-designate, in response to questions, pledged to implement the provisions of the deforestation regulation. In addition, she expressed approval of the decision for an additional 12-month transition period.

Other priority areas

Competitive economy and green transformation go hand in hand. This is a unique opportunity for Europe. The closed-loop economy is a priority and a key part of the Clean Industry Agreement. Too often it is cheaper to import new materials than to use recycled ones,” the candidate for the new Environment Commissioner told the hearing.

Jessica Roswall announced that, as commissioner, she will focus on implementation and enforcement of existing regulations. She stressed the importance of doing so in order to achieve goals and generate benefits for citizens, farmers or businesses. During the discussion, she stressed that if there is a need for new regulations, assessing their impact on small and medium-sized businesses will be a priority. Simplification of regulations, according to the commissioner-designate, should not lead to deregulation, but facilitate the implementation of rules to maintain a high level of protection for both human health and the environment. Jessica Roswall hopes that her legal experience will make it easier for her to get all states to comply with existing laws.

During the debate, the environmental commissioner candidate indicated that she would fight for funding for environmental priorities, so she intends to explore borrowing for nature and work with the European Investment Bank and international partners. She stressed that she will strive for the EU to lead the way, but expects commitment and initiatives from individual member states as well. Jessica Roswall pledged to work for results-oriented solutions.

Photo. main: Henrik Smångs / Wikimedia