Merkel must seize opportunity to put Green Deal at heart of recovery
German Presidency
Ska Keller MEP, President of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, comments:
"The German Presidency of the Council comes at a challenging time. Right now, the big tasks for the EU are to overcome the corona pandemic, organise the recovery effort and move ahead with climate protection. The German presidency will have a great opportunity to contribute to these efforts by building an ecological, solidarity-based and gender-equitable Europe and by making the Green Deal and climate protection a motor for jobs and the transformation into a green economy.
"The German Council Presidency must set the course for a recovery fund that will enable investment in the future and pave the way for an ecological and social restructuring of the economy. Furthermore, we need the presidency to push for the adoption of an ambitious climate law and the EU climate target of a 65 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030. The European Union should become the global climate champion and bring other countries on board before the 2021 climate conference."
Philippe Lamberts MEP, President of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, comments:
"The German Presidency should ensure that the rule of law and climate protection are the focus of the recovery plan. It's essential that the strong basis set out in the Commission proposal on the recovery plan is maintained in the upcoming negotiations at the next European Council summit and an agreement is found as soon as possible. The German government and other countries must hold their nerve in supporting solidarity through the size of the recovery fund and grants over loans. Countries already suffering through this crisis must not be further indebted by the recovery. The old mistakes of austerity policy from the Troika era must not be repeated.
"We wish Chancellor Angela Merkel and the German Presidency of the Council the courage and determination to seize the opportunity for a new beginning and unity in the EU and to fight for a strong recovery plan and a strong signal against the climate crisis."
