BRUSSELS — Far-right groups in the European Parliament are painting themselves as protectors of the EU’s natural habitats in a bid to slow down the European Commission’s proposal to fast-track renewable energy projects.
The turn has made them an unlikely ally for nature-conscious lawmakers.
Climate change is a key driver of biodiversity loss in Europe and switching to renewable energy is at the heart of EU climate policy. But NGOs and green-minded MEPs warn that ripping up the rulebook on where and how green infrastructure projects are built isn’t the answer.
“My approach in this opinion is pragmatic: We need to accelerate the energy transition, yes, but this should not come at the cost of Europe’s basic nature protection rules,” Green MEP Rasmus Nordqvist, who’s leading work on the file for the Parliament’s environment committee, told POLITICO.
