Serge Wilmes, Luxembourg’s Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity;
Credit: © SIP / Claude Piscitelli
On Thursday 27 March 202, Luxembourg’s Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Serge Wilmes, took part in the EU Environment Council meeting in Brussels.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, discussions covered a range of topics, including the Clean Industrial Deal aimed at integrating climate and competitiveness into a unified strategy, global environmental policies to strengthen multilateralism and international cooperation and a review of the COP16 biodiversity summit. Ministers also exchanged views on the European Commission’s vision for agriculture and food policy.
One of the key agenda points was the Clean Industrial Deal, presented on 26 February 2025, which seeks to combine climate goals with industrial competitiveness. The strategy emphasises circularity and includes measures to strengthen the circular economy, such as legislative actions and a roadmap for the chemical industry.
Minister Wilmes highlighted: “The Clean Industrial Deal demonstrates Europe's determination to achieve decarbonisation by 2050 at the latest. It positions decarbonisation as a key driver for strengthening the competitiveness and growth of European industry, reducing dependencies and creating high-quality jobs. European industry and investors need such a clear roadmap and a reliable system.”
As reported by Luxembourg’s Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Minister Wilmes underlined the importance of monitoring chemical management throughout the product lifecycle, particularly in recycling activities: “This is essential to create non-toxic material cycles and ensure safe, durable and high-quality products.” He also stressed the need to ensure that European agencies and national authorities have the financial and technical capacity to implement and enforce increasingly cross-cutting legislation, thus ensuring an efficient and competitive single market.
The Council discussed global environmental policies, and Minister Wilmes emphasised the “crucial role” of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in strengthening environmental multilateralism, promoting international cooperation and creating synergies between global efforts to tackle environmental crises. In the presence of UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen, he welcomed the strong and innovative partnership between Luxembourg and UNEP. He also reiterated the importance of securing a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution that addresses the entire lifecycle of plastics.
According to the ministry, the meeting also included a review of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16.2), which took place in Rome from 25 to 27 February 2025. Minister Wilmes expressed his satisfaction with the “crucial agreement reached”, calling it a decisive step towards implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). He stated that the agreement represents a beacon of hope in the current geopolitical climate, demonstrating the strength of multilateralism and international cooperation in protecting the planet’s biodiversity and safeguarding the foundations of life.
The press release added that Ukraine’s Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, Svitlana Hrynchuk, addressed the environmental consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Luxembourg reaffirmed its unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.
The next EU Environment Council meeting is scheduled to take place in Luxembourg on Tuesday 17 June 2025.
IK
