The European Parliament's Environment Committee (ENVI) on 2 July 2026 debated two provisional agreements and the draft opinion on the 2027 EU budget, with the budget discussion exposing tensions between ambitious green spending goals and the limited flexibility of the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
On the file empowering France to accede to the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles, Chair Pierfrancesco Maran (S&D) reported a trilogue compromise reached on 29 June. The agreement retains the fisheries legal base, clarifies the scope in French territories, and adds provisions on cooperation against illegal fishing, stakeholder consultation, and annual reporting to Parliament and Council. On the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) amending regulation, co-legislators agreed to strengthen ECHA's financial stability and governance, allow Parliament or Member States to request scientific advice, set a financial reserve calculation method, and assess resource adequacy. Both provisional agreements will be voted in committee after the summer break.
The committee then turned to the draft ENVI opinion on the 2027 EU budget. Rapporteur Maran called for maximising support for climate, biodiversity, circular economy, water resilience, and sustainable food systems, with reinforced LIFE funding, just transition support, and adequate resources for Commission services and agencies like EFSA. Lena Schilling (Greens/EFA) backed the draft, stressing the need to meet biodiversity financing goals and keep LIFE alive as a grassroots programme. Jonas Sjöstedt (The Left) urged ending fossil fuel subsidies and ensuring sufficient resources for implementation.
The European Commission (DG ENV, DG CLIMA, DG SANTE) welcomed the draft but noted limited flexibility under the current MFF, highlighted high demand for LIFE funding, the need to meet climate spending targets, and additional resources needed for animal disease outbreaks. The exchange revealed a cleavage between the Parliament's ambition for increased green spending and the Commission's caution about MFF constraints, with no concrete proposals to expand the budget ceiling. Amendments are due by 7 July; votes in ENVI on 1 September and in plenary in October.