site.btaPlanned Simplification of EU Laws Threatens Nature and Public Health, WWF Bulgaria Warns

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Bulgaria calls on Bulgarian representatives in the European Council and European Parliament (EP) to oppose the Environmental Omnibus and the European Grids packages, proposed on December 10, 2025. According to a position published by WWF Bulgaria on Tuesday, the measures claim to reduce administrative burden and increase competitiveness but in practice "significantly weaken key environmental standards built over decades, putting air and water quality, biodiversity, and public health at risk."

On December 10, the European Commission (EC) said in a press release that the new Environmental Omnibus package is expected to save businesses approximately EUR 1 billion per year, bringing the annual administrative savings stemming from the omnibuses and other simplification initiatives the Commission has already presented to almost EUR 11 billion per year. It thus brings us closer to the overall target of EUR 37.5 billion in annual administrative cost savings by the end of this Commission's mandate in 2029. 

Regarding the European Grids Package, the EC said in another press release on the same date that the measure will enable energy to flow efficiently across all Member States, integrating cheaper clean energy and accelerating electrification. The EC argued that this will help lower energy prices, support affordable living, and ensure a secure and reliable supply as Europe moves away from Russian energy imports toward energy independence. "The Grids Package marks a new approach to energy infrastructure by bringing a truly European perspective on infrastructure planning, while accelerating permitting procedures and ensuring a fairer division of costs regarding cross-border projects.  The new approach will allow the best use of our existing energy infrastructure and, in parallel, accelerate the development of grids and other physical energy infrastructure across the EU," the EC wrote.

According to a statement by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), the new Environmental Omnibus package chips away at crucial EU laws that protect people’s health, nature and long-term prosperity. "These texts confirm what civil society, scientists, and concerned citizens have been warning about for months: the von der Leyen Commission is dismantling decades of hard-won nature protections, putting air, water, and public health at risk in the name of competitiveness. These proposals are not isolated or technical adjustments: they are part of a broader pattern of attacks, from weakening the EU Deforestation Regulation to cutting down protections against chemicals and pesticides, opening the door to increased pollution. This dismantling goes beyond environmental policy, undermining democratic accountability," the EEB emphasized. 

Warnings from citizens and experts have so far been ignored, raising serious concerns about the legitimacy of the process. This is shown by the EU Ombudswoman’s finding of maladministration in the 2024 CAP “simplification” and by the nearly 200,000 citizen responses to the Environmental Omnibus call for evidence that were ultimately disregarded, the EBB said.

WWF Bulgaria urges citizens to join the Hands OFF Nature petition, calling on European leaders to defend the laws that protect people and nature. 

What simplifying nature laws means for Bulgaria

WWF Bulgaria warns that, for Bulgaria, weakening the rules risks repeating previous cases of poor implementation, such as the construction of wind turbines in the Kaliakra area, one of Europe’s most important bird migration routes. In 2016, this led to a condemnation of Bulgaria by the EU Court of Justice. Weakening the Water Framework Directive would also extend deadlines for achieving good ecological status, for example delaying the removal of pollutants or hazardous river barriers. It would make it easier to implement mining projects without proper water quality safeguards. Similar concerns exist today among residents in the Svoge and Breznik regions.

Risk of formal environmental assessments amid limited capacity

Particularly concerning is the proposed new regulation to accelerate environmental impact assessments. While formally it does not change nature protection directives, it affects how they are interpreted and applied, in contradiction with the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which reserves the right to interpret directives to the EU Court of Justice.

Pressure for shorter deadlines would also burden institutions with limited capacity, including Bulgaria’s Ministry of Environment and Water, and increase the risk of formalistic or poor-quality assessments. WWF Bulgaria notes that only a year ago, Ministry experts protested, calling for proper compensation and staff increases.

Weakened protection against deforestation, chemicals and pesticides

WWF Bulgaria warns that the changes are not merely technical. They are part of a broader trend of deregulation that includes reduced protection against deforestation (Deforestation Regulation), chemicals and pesticides (through the Food and Feed Safety Omnibus), a review of the EU Water Framework Directive in the second quarter of 2026, and “stress tests” of the Habitats and Birds Directives.

Which regulations are at risk? These include measures against illegal logging and timber traceability under the EU Deforestation Regulation - the world’s first law aimed at halting deforestation globally. The regulation prohibits the import and sale in the EU of products linked to deforestation and requires companies to provide geolocation data. However, some far-right groups in the EP and national governments argue that providing such data is “too difficult.”

Compromising environmental laws already costs EUR 180 billion annually

The Commission justifies these measures as “simplification” and cost savings for businesses, without presenting a proper impact assessment or accounting for the real cost of pollution and environmental damage. According to EC data, poor implementation or non-implementation of environmental legislation already costs the EU around EUR 180 billion a year.

Rapid renewable energy development or legal chaos?

The Energy Networks Package further complicates the situation by completely changing the rules for approving energy projects. Together with the Environmental Omnibus, it proposes simplified and accelerated permitting procedures for all grid infrastructure, renewable energy projects, storage facilities, and charging stations. However, the proposals create legal uncertainty, for example by failing to align with existing procedures for environmental assessments, which could lead to poorly planned projects, conflicts with wildlife, and opposition from local communities.

The new rules also limit Member States’ ability to set national renewable energy priorities and allow environmental safeguards to be bypassed. This puts sensitive areas such as Natura 2000 sites and free-flowing rivers at risk and increases the likelihood of conflicts with local communities.

EC ignores citizens’ voice

Katerina Rakovska, Senior Biodiversity Policy Expert at WWF Bulgaria, said that environmental legislation is not meant to block development but to ensure that investments do not harm nature or human health. "Ignoring nearly 200,000 citizen responses submitted during the 2025 public consultations undermines our trust in the EU’s ability to protect citizens’ interests,” she stressed.