The Green Deal could collapse as another victim of EU centralized control

The European Green Deal is facing significant challenges that could lead to its failure due to economic pressures and changing political dynamics. The European Commission, under Ursula von der Leyen's leadership, has been delaying numerous environmental regulations originally proposed between 2019 and 2024.

Key setbacks include postponing the anti-deforestation regulation that would have banned products from recently deforested areas, and growing speculation about relaxing the planned 2035 combustion engine ban. The EU also failed to submit intermediate climate targets to the UN as previously committed.

Several factors are driving these policy reversals: the rise of populist parties in the 2024 European elections who successfully campaigned against green regulations, potential changes in US trade policy under a possible Trump return, and criticism from Global South countries who view EU environmental standards as green neo-colonialism. The EU is now prioritizing economic competitiveness and trade relationships over strict environmental policies.

The fundamental problem, according to critics, is not the policy changes themselves but the EU's mandatory uniformity that prevents member states from making decisions that align with their national interests and economic needs.