Speeding up renewables without harming nature – Letter to Commissioner Jørgensen

ClientEarth and six other environmental NGOs have sent a letter to the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, with a clear message: implement environmental legislation, do not weaken it!

Earlier in May, Energy and Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen announced that a new omnibus [1] energy package will be published later this year. The goal of this initiative is to streamline and accelerate the permitting process for renewable energy projects by reviewing EU laws. In an interview to Contexte, the Commissioner explicitly stated that the revision “will include environmental directives,” such as the Birds and Habitats Directives. This is not the first time the Commission has expressed similar intentions. 

Today, ClientEarth and six other environmental NGOs sent a letter to Commissioner Jørgensen, reaffirming our strong support for a rapid transition to 100% renewable energy. However, this transition must not come at the expense of nature. We call on the Commission to avoid weakening key environmental legislation under the guise of simplifying permitting. 

Slow permitting procedures are not caused by environmental laws, but by under-resourced planning authorities, limited technical capacity, and a lack of transparent, publicly accessible data. Solutions already exist to accelerate renewable deployment without weakening environmental protections, including stronger support for Member States in implementing the revised Renewable Energy Directive, greater investment in permitting capacity, and robust public participation. 

We urge the European Commission to not reopen or undermine cornerstone laws such as the Birds and Habitats Directives. These laws are not obstacles to progress but essential safeguards for a healthy environment and a sustainable future. 

The message is clear: fast action on climate and energy must go hand-in-hand with protecting biodiversity.  

NOTES

[1] The “omnibus” is a legal tool aimed at unifying the revision of several laws to streamline them.