Tutela ambientale versus competitività economica: il paradigma della sostenibilità

This piece examines the evolution, within EU law, of the dichotomy between environmental protection and economic competitiveness. The European Green Deal has placed green policies at the centre of the Union’s political agenda, yet its framework has recently been challenged by multiple exogenous and endogenous factors, necessitating a more nuanced reflection on the relationship between environmental protection and competitiveness. The paper highlights how the renewed focus on economic sustainability and regulatory simplification, as reflected in the Omnibus packages, risks translating into a substantial reduction of environmental objectives and principles, rather than serving as a tool for greater regulatory efficiency. Nevertheless, the paper emphasises that the EU has essentially preserved its own environmental “vision” even in the current period of weaker political drive, with a view to strengthening its role in the global governance of sustainability and supporting the process of building its strategic autonomy.