— This special edition of the ‘Online meetings Xunta-EU’ series was inaugurated by the Regional Minister for the Environment and Climate Change of Xunta de Galicia, Ángeles Vázquez.

— The meeting, which reunited more than 60 participants, was attended by members of the Galician Climate Alliance.

Brussels, 4th of June 2024. The Regional Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, Ángeles Vázquez Mejuto, inaugurated this special edition of the ‘Online meetings Xunta-EU’, the forum for debate between the Galician government and the European institutions organised monthly by Fundación Galicia Europa. The session dealt with the implementation of the Nature Restoration Law, one of the initiatives of the European Green Deal recently endorsed by the EU Council.

Given that 80% of European habitats are in poor conditions, this new EU law seeks the rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems in all Member States, which undertake to implement restoration measures in at least 20% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030 and in all ecosystems that need it by 2050. In view of these objectives, the Regional Minister stressed the need to guarantee the “coexistence between the protection of Galicia’s environmental wealth and the future of the main economic activities carried out in the territory”, reiterating the Galician Government’s commitment to guaranteeing a balance between the conservation of biodiversity and the development of the productive

The institutional vision regarding the regulation on nature restoration was presented by Humberto Delgado Rosa, director of biodiversity at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment. The Galician perspective was also presented by Paula Uría Traba, Director General of Renewable Energies and Climate Change, who explained Galicia’s commitment to the protection of biodiversity and explained how the European requirements are transferred to our region.

The director of the Brussels office of Fundación Galicia Europa, Ana Ramos Barbosa, highlighted the role of regional authorities in the implementation of the European Green Deal through initiatives such as the European Climate Pact, to which the FGE has committed itself to promoting the debate on the ecological transition among Galician society, within the framework of its information, training and awareness-raising activities on relevant European issues.

Given the desire to involve all stakeholders, in addition to the representatives of the Galician government, several members of the Galician Climate Alliance were also present among the more than 60 participants of the virtual meeting. This initiative brings together all types of Galician organisations committed to improving the environment and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Online meetings between Galicia’s government and the European institutions

The cycle ‘Online meetings Xunta-EU’ brings together the Xunta de Galicia with representatives of the European institutions on a monthly basis to jointly address the policies promoted by the EU. Organised by Fundación Galicia Europa since September 2020, it fosters the debate on a multitude of issues on the EU agenda, such as the Industrial Strategy for Europe or the State aid regulatory framework.

Established as a key priority at the start of the European Commission’s current mandate, the European Green Deal has been the focus of several meetings in the series, in which initiatives such as the circular economy strategy, the Just Transition Fund or the green elements of the CAP were discussed.

More information: Xunta de Galicia