Civil society organisations ask the EU for urgent environmental legislation

In a letter addressed to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the signatories claimed that solutions based on nature should be prioritized in the next legislative proposal of the European Climate Resilience Structure and asked Brussels to make the commitments in this area into law.

Signatories include organisations of farmers, water suppliers, local authorities, health professionals and citizens, as well as financial institutions, which considered that the summer of 2026 once again showed that Europe is not sufficiently prepared for the effects of climate change.

The person responsible for the European Water and Climate Change Adaptation policy of the World Wild Fund (European Union), Claire Baffert, said on behalf of the signatories that the last summers showed that climate resilience can no longer be treated as a future challenge.

Baffert recalled that the European Commission itself has already recognised “the vital role” of nature-based solutions to protect communities and ecosystems against climate disasters.

In this regard, he stressed that new legislation should be guaranteed.

The request of the various organizations occurred after a summer that reached maximum heat values, with Western Europe reaching the warmest period of June and July since there are records, as well as large forest fires that devastated thousands of hectares on the continent.

According to data cited by organizations, at least 35,000 deaths were recorded in Europe during successive heat waves, an estimate that does not yet include August.

The president of IFOAM Organics Europe, Drexler, argued that solutions based on nature are “fundamental to create climate-resilient landscapes” and pointed out organic farming as an example.

Drexler referred to practices such as crop rotation, plant cover, organic fertilization and biodiversity promotion, which allow improving soil structure and its infiltration and water retention capacity.

“The European Climate Resilience Structure should prioritize systemic and nature-based solutions, such as organic farming, and support them with solid and specific funding,” he said.

The signatories also recalled that Von der Leyen defended the need to strengthen European policies for resilience and adaptation and that in July he stated in a letter to MEPs that solutions based on nature played an essential role in combating heat waves, droughts and floods.

On Wednesday, during the debate on the State of the Union, Von der Leyen will present guidelines on the strategy for the political year.

In this sense, the organisations have demanded that the solutions presented should be translated into legislative proposals of the European Climate Resilience Structure, whose internal consultation in the Commission should take place before the end of the month.