a blue bench with yellow stars painted on it in a circle.

EU drops dedicated funding for biodiversity as part of new green budget overhaul

The European Commission’s proposed restructuring of its trillion-euro budget eliminates dedicated biodiversity funding, raising fears that nature restoration will lose out to more profitable green initiatives.

Marianne Gros and Leonie Cater report for POLITICO.

In short:

The EU’s new budget proposal consolidates several programs into a €409 billion Competitiveness Fund, ending ring-fenced funding for biodiversity and merging it into a general environmental target.
Conservation advocates warn that, without earmarked funds, biodiversity efforts could lose out to industrial projects labeled as green but focused on economic growth.
The Commission says 35% of the entire €1.816 trillion budget will support environmental and climate objectives, but no specific target is set for biodiversity or water resilience.

Key quote:

“This is a devastating blow for Europe’s nature and its citizens.”

— Anouk Puymartin, Birdlife Europe

Why this matters:

Biodiversity underpins food systems, clean air, fresh water, and climate stability. Yet Europe faces a massive €37 billion annual shortfall in biodiversity funding. Removing earmarked financial support risks leaving vital restoration projects without resources, even as species decline and ecosystems degrade at accelerating rates. When budget decisions prioritize industrial competitiveness over ecological health, nature becomes an afterthought. Scientists have long warned that without intact ecosystems, economies themselves become more fragile. Meanwhile, rising heat and drought are intensifying water stress across southern Europe. Leaving water resilience and biodiversity unprotected in EU budgets may lead to irreversible environmental and public health consequences.

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