EU-Green Deal in Gefahr: Politische Kehrtwende?

This Focus Online analysis discusses recent political developments within the European Union that, according to the article, substantially weaken ambitions and regulatory measures originally associated with the European Green Deal. The piece focuses on policy shifts, negotiation outcomes and legislative rollbacks that reduce scope or stringency in climate and environmental regulation. One central point is that EU climate targets were revised in late 2025 to a 90 percent emissions reduction target compared with earlier, more ambitious proposals; however, the article argues there are significant caveats that undermine the effective strength of the target. For example, the analysis highlights loopholes allowing partial offsets such as accounting for certain removals or external projects, which the author suggests dilute the real domestic emissions reduction requirement and permit strategic accounting that could leave actual European emissions higher than implied. The article also reports political compromises that limit obligations for large corporations and trim accountability measures: rules now reportedly apply only to multinational companies meeting high thresholds (for example, those with over 5,000 employees and substantial turnover), removing earlier obligations for smaller firms and narrowing the universe of regulated actors. It further contends that victims of supply‑chain related environmental and human‑rights infringements will face restricted legal remedies, and that corporations are no longer compelled to maintain formal climate strategies as initially foreseen — all changes the article interprets as a rollback of corporate climate governance. On agricultural and land‑use policy the article asserts that the new regulatory proposals contain deregulatory measures for farmers, such as capping environmental inspections to one per year and relaxing rules that would have limited conversion of semi‑natural landscapes to arable land; it cites proposals to extend subsidy access to very small farms without strict environmental conditionality. The piece also flags potential weakening of sectoral bans and transitions, e.g., indicating that measures to phase out combustion engine vehicle production by 2035 are under review and could be reversed. The analysis connects these shifts to broader institutional changes in the EU’s policy agenda, such as the Commission’s ‘Clean Industrial Deal’ and a competitiveness‑focused ‘compass’ that prioritize industrial adaptation, faster permitting and reduced administrative burdens — trends the article frames as favoring economic interests over environmental ambition. The tone is critical and warns that cumulative deregulatory moves could undermine the integrity of climate policy, weaken protections for biodiversity and water and soil resources, and slow the transition in food and agricultural systems that environmental stakeholders regard as necessary. The article cites negotiation outcomes, Commission communications and stakeholder reactions to illustrate how political bargaining has reshaped the original Green Deal architecture into a more business‑friendly package, with concrete implications for environmental governance, accountability and agricultural practice across EU member states.