The European Green Deal, approved in 2020, is a plan created by the European Commission to help the European Union (EU) become climate neutral by 2050. This means the EU will not produce any net greenhouse gases by that year. The plan includes reviewing current laws to see how well they help the environment, and creating new rules about recycling, improving buildings, protecting nature, farming, and innovation.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, called the European Green Deal "Europe's 'man on the moon moment,'” comparing it to a major achievement. On December 13, 2019, the European Council agreed to continue with the plan, allowing Poland to take a different approach. On January 15, 2020, the European Parliament supported the plan, asking for stronger goals. In 2021, the European Climate Law was passed, setting a rule that greenhouse gas emissions must be 55% lower by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The Fit for 55 package includes many proposed laws that explain how the EU will meet this goal. ETS2 is a new EU Emissions Trading System that will start in 2027. It will be the first time in history that a price is set for carbon dioxide emissions from fuels used in buildings and road transport.

The European Commission’s climate strategy, started in 2020, aims to make Europe a net-zero emitter of greenhouse gases by 2050. It also shows how economies can grow without using more resources. The Green Deal includes steps to help countries that depend on fossil fuels transition to renewable energy. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and becoming climate neutral by 2050 are top priorities for EU member states.

In 2019, Ursula von der Leyen named Frans Timmermans as Executive Vice President of the European Commission for the European Green Deal. He was replaced by Maroš Šefčovič in 2023, and then by Teresa Ribera in 2024.

European Climate Pact

The European Climate Pact is a program started by the European Commission to help carry out the European Green Deal. It aims to create a more environmentally friendly Europe by offering a place for people to work together, learn, create solutions, and make real improvements.

The Pact gives people, communities, and organizations across Europe chances to take part in climate and environmental activities. When groups agree to join the Pact, they promise to take specific climate and environmental actions that can be tracked and checked. Joining the Pact allows organizations to share their progress with others and work together with other groups to reach shared goals.

Aims

The main goal of the European Green Deal is for the European Union to become the first region in the world with no greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This plan covers many areas, such as buildings, nature, energy, transportation, and food.

One part of the plan involves charging countries that do not reduce their pollution at the same rate as the EU. This system is called the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Other parts of the plan include:

• A plan to create a circular economy, where resources are reused and waste is minimized. The European Commission has shared several reports on this, including one that requires EU countries to change their economies to focus on reuse and recycling. This plan is a key part of the European Green Deal and the EU’s recovery plan after the coronavirus pandemic.
• A review and possible changes to climate-related policies, such as the Emissions Trading System.
• A Farm to Fork strategy that encourages farmers to improve soil health, reduce emissions, and manage nutrients better.
• A review of the Energy Taxation Directive, which looks at removing unfair tax breaks for fossil fuels like those used in aviation and shipping.
• A strategy to make transportation more sustainable and efficient.
• A plan to protect and grow forests in Europe, including planting new trees and preserving existing ones.

The plan also uses Horizon Europe, a research program, to help get more money from public and private sources. Through partnerships with industries and countries, it supports new technologies like clean energy, better batteries, and eco-friendly building materials.

The EU plans to fund the Green Deal through an investment plan called InvestEU, which aims to raise at least €1 trillion. To meet the goals of the Green Deal, the EU will need about €260 billion each year in investments by 2030.

More than half of all homes in Europe were built before 1970, when energy efficiency was not a priority. At the current rate of upgrading buildings, it could take over 100 years to make all buildings energy-efficient and low in carbon emissions. A major goal of the Green Deal is to increase the rate of building upgrades from about 1% to at least double or triple that rate. This is also needed outside the EU. In addition to upgrading old buildings, new buildings must be designed to use energy efficiently and protect the environment.

In July 2021, the European Commission introduced the "Fit for 55" package, which includes rules requiring all new cars sold in the EU to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035.

Under the Paris Agreement, the EU’s goal to reduce emissions by 55% compared to 1990 levels by 2030 means a 40% reduction from 2019 levels. This is calculated based on the EU’s current emissions.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme’s 2020 Emissions Gap Report, to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, the world must reduce emissions by 57% from 2019 levels by 2030. This is higher than the EU’s 40% target. Wealthier countries are expected to reduce emissions more than the average globally.

Policy areas

The European Green Deal aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. To reach this goal, the European Union (EU) plans to reduce carbon emissions in its energy system so that no more greenhouse gases are released than are removed from the air by 2050. The EU will review and update its energy rules if challenges arise. In 2023, member countries will update their climate and energy plans to meet the EU's 2030 climate goals. Key goals include:

• Improving energy efficiency
• Using renewable energy sources for power
• Ensuring affordable energy for all EU citizens
• Creating a connected, digital energy market across the EU

In 2020, the European Commission introduced a strategy to transition to a cleaner energy future. This strategy includes steps to create a more circular system, use electricity more widely, and develop clean fuels like hydrogen. The European Clean Hydrogen Alliance was launched to support hydrogen's role in this transition.

By 2023, investments in green technology in the EU matched those in the United States. This growth is due to the EU's climate goals and government support. The European Green Deal and related policies have increased funding for areas like energy storage, recycling, and agricultural technology. These efforts help the EU close the investment gap with the U.S. in these areas.

Another goal is the Circular Economy Industrial Policy. In March 2020, the EU announced an industrial strategy to support citizens, strengthen regions, and develop advanced technologies. This includes modernizing industries, creating markets for products that help reduce carbon emissions, and reducing emissions in energy-heavy industries like steel and cement.

A new policy will focus on reducing material waste by encouraging reuse and recycling. This includes materials like textiles, construction materials, vehicles, batteries, electronics, and plastics. The EU plans to stop exporting waste outside the EU and update rules about waste shipments. The EU also aims to revise rules for end-of-life vehicles to support recycling. The European Commission estimates that achieving these goals will require an extra €350 billion in investments annually by 2030.

The EU is working to make building and renovation processes more sustainable. These processes often use non-renewable resources, so the plan promotes energy-efficient methods, such as making buildings more resistant to extreme weather, using digital tools, and setting stricter energy performance rules for buildings. Social housing will also be renovated to lower energy costs for people who cannot afford them. The EU aims to triple the rate of building renovations to reduce pollution.

Digital technologies can help the EU meet its environmental goals. Examples include smart city transportation, precise farming methods, sustainable supply chains, monitoring the environment, and predicting natural disasters.

The "From Farm to Fork" strategy focuses on making food production and distribution more sustainable. It supports farmers and fishermen by using methods that protect the environment and improve efficiency. Goals include reducing chemical pesticide use by 50% by 2030, making 25% of EU farming organic by 2030, and cutting fertilizer use by 20% by 2030. The strategy also aims to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030 and invest €10 billion in research related to food sustainability.

The "Zero Pollution Action Plan" aims to eliminate pollution from all sources by 2050. This includes cleaning the air, water, and soil, and ensuring industries operate in environments free of harmful chemicals. The plan will address issues like microplastics and chemicals in water, and it will support sustainable farming and urban practices. The "From Farm to Fork" strategy also helps reduce pollution from farming and transportation.

Some parts of the plan, like "toxic-free" and "zero pollution," have been criticized by some scientists. They argue that all substances can be harmful in large amounts, and many natural processes produce some form of pollution.

Reducing emissions from transportation is another focus of the European Green Deal. A strategy for "Sustainable and Smart Mobility" will promote the use of alternative fuels in cars, ships, and planes. It will also set stricter emissions rules for vehicles that use fuel. The plan includes developing smart traffic systems, changing freight delivery methods to use land or water more often, and improving public transportation to reduce traffic and pollution. More electric vehicle charging stations will be built to encourage the use of low-emission cars. The "Single European Sky" plan will improve air traffic management to make flying safer, more efficient, and less harmful to the environment.

In 2021, the EU will introduce a strategy to protect biodiversity. This includes managing forests and oceans, protecting the environment, and addressing the loss of species and ecosystems. Efforts will focus on restoring ecosystems through organic farming, helping pollinators, restoring rivers, reducing harmful pesticides, and planting more trees. The EU aims to protect 30% of land and 30% of oceans.

Motivation

The main goal of the European Green Deal is to become climate neutral by the year 2050. This plan was created because of environmental problems like climate change, loss of wildlife, loss of ozone, water pollution, city-related stress, waste, and other issues. Here are some statistics showing climate-related challenges in the European Union:

• Climate change is expected to double carbon dioxide levels by 2030, with summer temperatures in Europe rising by 2-3 degrees Celsius.
• Europe is responsible for about one-third of the world's gas emissions that cause the loss of ozone.
• More than half of the land in Europe where ecosystems exist is threatened by problems like poor management.
• Each year, about 700,000 hectares of forest are destroyed by fires, often caused by social and economic issues.

• In 2017, over 75% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU came from energy production and use.
• In 2017, 17.5% of the EU's energy use came from renewable resources like wind and solar power.

• From 1970 to 2017, the world used three times more natural resources than before. This process caused 90% of the loss in wildlife.
• The EU's industry produces 20% of its greenhouse gas emissions.
• Only 12% of the resources used in the EU's industry come from recycling.

• Buildings and renovations in the EU use 40% of all energy consumed.

• In the EU, 20% of food is wasted, while 36 million people do not have a good meal every day.

• At 50,000 industrial sites in the EU, €189 billion is spent each year on health problems caused by pollution.

• Transportation causes 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. Road vehicles are responsible for 71.7% of this, followed by 13.9% from air travel, 13.4% from water travel, and the rest from trains and other methods.
• A plan called the Single European Sky is expected to reduce aviation emissions by 10%.

• In the EU, €40 trillion depends on natural resources and ecosystems.
• The number of wild species has dropped by more than 50% in the last two generations.

All 54 actions in the plan were carried out or put into place by 2019. The EU is now seen as a leader in creating policies for a circular economy worldwide. Laws about waste were passed in 2018 after discussions with the European Parliament and member countries. Between 2012 and 2016, jobs related to circular economy activities in the EU increased by 6%. The plan also helped at least 14 countries, eight regions, and 11 cities create strategies for a circular economy.

Timeline

• 11 December 2019: The European Green Deal was introduced.
• 14 January 2020: The European Green Deal Investment Plan and the Just Transition Mechanism were introduced.
• 4 March 2020: A proposal for a European climate law was made to ensure the European Union becomes climate neutral by 2050. A public consultation was held regarding the European Climate Pact, which aims to bring together regions, local communities, civil society, businesses, and schools. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
• 10 March 2020: The European Industrial Strategy was adopted, which is a plan for building an economy ready for the future.
• 11 March 2020: A proposal for a Circular Economy Action Plan was made, focusing on using resources in a sustainable way.
• 20 May 2020: The 'Farm to Fork Strategy' was introduced to improve the sustainability of food systems. The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 was also introduced, focusing on protecting fragile natural resources.
• 8 July 2020: The EU strategies for energy system integration and hydrogen were adopted to support a fully decarbonized, more efficient, and interconnected energy sector.
• 12 July 2020: The taxonomy for sustainable activities became effective, helping to reduce misleading claims about environmental benefits and guiding investors to choose green options.
• 17 September 2020: The 2030 Climate Target Plan was introduced.
• 9 December 2020: The European Climate Pact was launched.
• 14 July 2021: The "Fit for 55" Package was introduced by the European Commission, containing many legislative proposals to achieve the goals of the EU Green Deal.
• 5 April 2022: Several initiatives under the action plan were adopted, including: a legislative proposal to regulate how companies make claims about being green, a review of rules on packaging and packaging waste in the EU, a new policy framework for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics, and measures to reduce the environmental impact of microplastic pollution.
• 21 December 2024: The European Union Green Bonds Regulation becomes effective, allowing companies, regional or local authorities, and EEA supra-nationals to issue "European Green Bonds" (or "EuGB").

Recovery program from COVID-19

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the European Union focused more on handling the health crisis than on the European Green Deal. Some leaders, such as Poland’s deputy minister Kowalski, a Romanian politician, and the Czech prime minister Babiš, suggested pausing or ending the Green Deal for a year or permanently. Many people believed the EU should prioritize solving the short-term crisis caused by the pandemic over addressing climate change.

The economic stress and reduced activity caused by the pandemic also made it harder to fund the Green Deal. Public and private money for the policy, as well as the EU’s GDP, were affected by the pandemic, which limited the budget for environmental actions.

As recovery efforts began in the EU, most ministers supported restarting the Green Deal, especially after the first wave of infections ended. In mid-April 2020, leaders from 17 governments signed a letter urging the EU to continue the Green Deal as a way to address the economic crisis and build a sustainable, climate-neutral economy.

In April 2020, the European Parliament included the Green Deal in its economic recovery plan. Ten countries encouraged the EU to adopt a "green recovery plan" to prevent the pandemic’s economic effects from slowing climate action.

In May 2020, leaders of the European Commission said the ecological crisis contributed to the pandemic, highlighting the need to continue the Green Deal. That month, the EU announced a €750 billion recovery package (called Next Generation EU) and a €1 trillion budget. The Green Deal is part of this plan, with funds only used for projects meeting specific environmental standards. Twenty-five percent of all funding will support climate change efforts. Fossil fuels and nuclear power are not eligible for funding. The package also aims to reduce economic inequality between EU countries.

As part of the EU’s response to the pandemic, several economic programs were created, including CRII, CRII+, European Social Fund+, and REACT-EU. These programs allow flexibility, and CRII and CRII+ can direct funds to crisis-related efforts through other EU funds. Some programs, like REACT-EU, also support the Green Deal.

In July 2020, a group in the United Kingdom proposed a "Green Recovery Act," based on ideas from a "Green New Deal" for Europe (a plan different from the EU’s Green Deal). The proposal highlighted that European car manufacturers lag behind China in reducing fossil fuel use.

That same month, EU leaders agreed to the recovery package and budget. The share of funding for climate action increased to 30%. The plan includes some green taxes on EU products and imports, but critics argue the amount may not be enough to meet the EU’s climate goals. It is also unclear how to ensure all funds are used for green projects.

Burden of Transition

The "Just Transition Mechanism" aims to help countries deal with the change to a greener economy more equally. This policy gives more financial help to countries with more workers in coal and oil shale industries, as well as those with higher greenhouse gas emissions. According to Frans Timmermans, this plan will also make it easier for affected areas to get investments and provide support worth "at least 100 billion euros." The Mechanism is part of the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan and is expected to get €100 billion in investments during the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). Funding will come from the EU budget, Member States, and contributions from InvestEU and the European Investment Bank.

The Just Transition Mechanism offers many ways to support the most affected areas. The first part, the Just Transition Fund, will give €17.5 billion in EU grants to the most affected regions. This requires about €10 billion in shared funding from national governments. The second part creates a special plan under InvestEU to encourage private investments. The third part sets up a new public credit program to use public money. These steps will also include help with advice and technical support for affected areas and projects.

The European Investment Bank Group can help by offering Structural Programme Loans along with European structural and investment funds (ESIF) for shared funding projects.

At COP26, the European Investment Bank shared a set of shared guidelines with other international banks, which match the goals of the Paris Agreement. These guidelines focus on helping economies move toward no carbon emissions while considering effects on jobs and the economy. They also include plans for including everyone and promoting gender equality to create long-term economic changes. The European Investment Bank said it plans to get $1 trillion in investments for climate action by 2030.

Criticism

It has been found that the American oil company ExxonMobil had a big influence on the early talks about the European Green Deal. ExxonMobil tried to change the deal to focus less on reducing carbon dioxide emissions from transportation.

The current plans have been criticized for not fully meeting the goal of ending the use of fossil fuels or providing enough support for a green recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. Greenpeace says the deal is not strong enough and will not slow climate change enough. The Corporate Europe Observatory calls the deal a good first step but points out that the fossil fuel industry had too much influence on it. Many groups, including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth Europe, and the Institute for European Environmental Policy, have studied the policy and believe it is not ambitious enough. Greenpeace says the plan is "too little too late," while the IEEP says the goals for solving key problems are unclear or not strong enough. Greta Thunberg said governments are opposing the deal, claiming it has become a chance for countries to find ways to avoid making stronger climate promises.

Nickel and cobalt are the main materials used in almost all electric vehicle batteries. Open-pit nickel mining has caused environmental harm and pollution in countries like the Philippines and Indonesia. In 2024, nickel mining and processing was one of the main reasons for deforestation in Indonesia. Open-pit cobalt mining has caused deforestation and habitat loss in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The European Environmental Bureau and Friends of the Earth Europe published a report about the European Green Deal. The report says changing energy sources alone will not be enough to create a sustainable society because electric vehicles, wind, and solar energy require a lot of resources. Mining these resources causes serious environmental and social harm. The report states that the EU uses between 70% and 97% of the "safe operating space" for resource use worldwide. This means the EU alone is close to exceeding the limits for resource use that the Earth can handle without harming its systems. The report suggests the EU should set stronger goals, reduce resource use, limit industries with little benefit (like military, aerospace, fast fashion, and cars), protect areas and people from mining, and create a sharing economy.

In 2021, large protests happened in Serbia against a lithium mine planned by the Rio Tinto company. In January 2022, the Serbian government canceled the project’s license. In July 2024, after pressure from the EU, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Maroš Šefčovič, the EU’s European Green Deal leader, signed an agreement about accessing "critical raw materials" mined in Serbia. This could help the Jadar project, which could supply 90% of Europe’s lithium needs. The project caused new environmental protests in Serbia in 2024.

In 2024, more than 60 NGOs sent a letter to the EU about the bioeconomy idea mentioned in the European Green Deal. They say using living things for energy puts pressure on ecosystems, even though the deal aims to protect 30% of land and water and restore ecosystems. They argue that switching from fossil fuels to bio sources without reducing overall use could cause serious harm.

A detailed plan for the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) was leaked in June 2021 and officially shared in July 2021 as part of the European Green Deal. This plan faced strong opposition from countries like China, India, Japan, and the United States. Studies suggest that CBAM could be difficult for developing countries, especially China, because many of its exports are energy-intensive.

If the EU does not adjust export rules, it could hurt the competitiveness of industries that export goods and lead to job losses in manufacturing. In July 2025, the EU announced a plan to reduce these risks.

Between 2019 and 2023, the EU lost over 853,000 manufacturing jobs, including in the automotive industry, with the most losses in Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Germany. Trade unions warn the European Green Deal could put 11 million jobs at risk. The EU predicts 180,000 coal mining jobs could be lost by 2030. A 2021 study says the automotive industry could lose half a million jobs. A 2019 study estimates up to 41,000 jobs could be lost in Poland, with similar losses possible in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Romania.

The EU’s carbon pricing plan for road and heating fuels (ETS2), which starts in 2027, will make fossil fuels like heating gas, petrol, and diesel more expensive.

The European Green Deal could reduce food production in Europe and raise global food prices.

In July 2023, Manfred Weber, a leader of the European People’s Party, tried to stop the Nature Restoration Law, saying it would harm farmers and threaten food security.

Former Romanian president Traian Băsescu warned that the deal might lead some EU countries to leave the union. While some countries are moving away from coal, others still rely on it heavily. This shows the deal may benefit some countries more than others. The economic effects of the deal are likely to be uneven among EU countries. Polish lawmaker Ryszard Legutko asked, "Is the Commission trying to take power away from member states?" Countries like Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, which depend heavily on coal, opposed the deal the most.

In 2021, Europe faced very high gas prices because of rising demand, reduced gas supplies from Russia and Norway, less renewable energy production, and a cold winter that drained gas reserves. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán blamed the European Commission’s Green Deal plans for the high prices. Despite this, EU Energy Commissioner Simson said there were no plans to delay the Green Deal. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe is too dependent on gas and needs to find new energy sources and speed up the shift to clean energy.

Energy-heavy industries in Germany and German exporters were especially hurt by the energy crisis.

European farmers have protested against proposed environmental rules, such as carbon taxes, pesticide bans, limits on nitrogen emissions, and restrictions on water and land use. They also protest over low food prices and trade with countries outside the EU, like Ukraine and the Mercosur bloc in South America.

History of opposition by countries

All European Union leaders agreed to the European Green Deal in December 2019. However, they had disagreements about the goals and how long it would take to reach them. Poland said it cannot achieve climate neutrality by 2050 because it depends on coal for most of its energy. Poland’s climate minister, Michał Kurtyka, stated that funding and responsibilities should be shared more fairly. The plan to increase efforts to reduce carbon emissions caused disagreements among EU members, with coal-dependent countries like Poland arguing it would harm jobs and economic strength. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said his country cannot meet the 2050 goal without using nuclear energy. Countries also debated the Just Transition Fund (JTF), which aims to help coal-reliant nations transition to cleaner energy. Spain, which reduced its environmental impact before the policy, argued the JTF is unfair because it only helps countries that did not act earlier. Pieter Cleppe, head of the Open Europe think tank in Brussels, sarcastically said, “What could possibly go wrong” about the plan.

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki claimed the EU’s carbon pricing system unfairly harms poorer countries in Southern and Eastern Europe. At the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Czech Prime Minister Babiš criticized the European Green Deal, stating the EU “can achieve nothing without the participation of the largest polluters such as China or the USA, which are responsible for 27% and 15% of global CO₂ emissions, respectively.”

In August 2023, the Polish government filed complaints with the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) against parts of the Fit for 55 package, arguing that three EU climate policies threaten Poland’s economy and energy security. In February 2024, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he would push for changes to the European Green Deal after protests by Polish farmers. In March 2024, Tusk stated Poland would follow its own path “without European coercion.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the EU’s ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, saying it could make Europe depend on other countries, such as China, for electric vehicles. She said, “Reducing polluting emissions is the path we want to follow, but with common sense.”

Analysis

A study from 2023 examined how much money the European Union needs to invest in technology for climate-related projects by 2035. It found that power plants, electricity grids, and rail systems require the largest increases in funding, about 87 billion euros more than planned for the years 2021 to 2025. These changes highlight the need for policies that support long-term financial planning.

A paper from Bruegel suggests that the European Union Emissions Trading System should include more industries to reduce pollution.

In May 2024, a report reviewed the European Union’s environmental progress since 2019, focusing on the Green New Deal. It stated that without these policies, environmental conditions would have been worse. However, the report also noted that global temperatures are still expected to rise by about 2.9 degrees Celsius.

Research by the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge in New Zealand found that the European Green Deal creates challenges for New Zealand’s agricultural exports. At the time, New Zealand did not have a national standard for organic farming similar to the EU’s. It also banned fewer chemicals and pesticides (27) compared to the EU’s 195. Without changes to policies, this could limit New Zealand’s ability to sell goods in the EU market.

Artistic movement

The New European Bauhaus is an artistic movement started by the European Commission, specifically by the President of the European Commission, Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen. Its goal is to support the European Green Deal by combining beauty, sustainability, and fairness through culture.

The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is a movement that brings together people from many fields, such as art, design, and architecture. It is inspired by the historical Bauhaus movement, which was started by German architect Walter Gropius. The NEB aims to solve modern problems by using creativity and teamwork.

The NEB is still being developed by a group of researchers from different countries and cultures, led by an artist named Alexandre Dang. However, some artists criticize the name "New European Bauhaus" because they believe it may not be inclusive enough.

The movement is divided into three phases to help it grow. The first phase, called the Design phase (2020–2021), focused on finding ways to improve ideas related to culture and technology. These areas are important for solving problems in architecture and city planning. During this time, the European Union and other groups began supporting projects through programs like Horizon Europe and the LIFE program.

To involve many people, the European Commission held a "High-level roundtable" with 18 experts, including architects like Shigeru Ban and Bjark Ingels, and others such as Francesca Bria and Sheela Patel.

After the Design phase, the European Commission released a document titled "New European Bauhaus: Beautiful, Sustainable, Together" on September 15, 2021. This document led to the Delivery phase, which started with five pilot projects. These projects aimed to make housing, architecture, transportation, and urban and rural areas more sustainable, helping the European Union reach its goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.

The NEB is based on the original Bauhaus movement’s principles, which include working on different levels, involving many people, and combining different fields. Through a co-design process, thousands of people across the European Union and beyond shared their ideas. The movement is defined by three key terms: "Sustainability" (protecting the environment, reducing waste, and preserving nature), "Aesthetics" (creating beauty and quality in design), and "Inclusion" (making sure everyone can participate and benefit).

The NEB has four main themes to guide its work: reconnecting with nature, helping people feel connected to their communities, focusing on areas and groups that need the most help, and thinking about long-term solutions for the environment and industry. The movement also aims to create changes in places, the environment, and how people understand new ideas.

During the Dissemination phase, the NEB plans to share its ideas with a wider audience, including people outside the European Union. This phase will help creators share their work, teach others how to use new methods, and inspire future architects and designers.

In 2021, the European Commission started the New European Bauhaus prizes to celebrate projects that follow the NEB’s goals. In September 2021, Commissioners Ferreira and Gabriel honored 20 projects in Brussels. A second round of prizes took place in 2022.

The NEB LAB is a place where people can work together to test ideas and create solutions for the NEB. It includes over 450 partners, members of the High-Level Roundtable, government representatives, and prize winners. The NEB LAB’s goal is to turn ideas into real actions, such as developing tools to label sustainable projects. It began by inviting public organizations, companies, and political groups to join.

The European Commission also plans to hold a New European Bauhaus Festival to celebrate creators and their work. The festival will have three parts: "Fair" (showcasing finished projects), "Fest" (cultural events with artists), and "Forum" (discussions about new ideas). The first festival will be in Brussels from June 9–12, 2022. After this, the festival will be held yearly in the European Union and other countries starting in 2023.