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Patrick ten Brink


Patrick ten Brink is secretary general of the European Environmental Bureau.

Patrick ten Brink

A new European social contract must be green

Patrick ten Brink 13th May 2024

Civil society stands up for a European pact for the future—green, social and fit for a one-planet economy.

EU leaders may miss a rendezvous with history

Patrick ten Brink 12th April 2024

The emerging strategic agenda for the next EU mandate reveals an ecological step backwards Europe cannot afford to take.

2024: a year that will decide the future

Patrick ten Brink 19th December 2023

The European Green Deal faces a fork in the road—between the politics of hope and the politics of fear—as the June elections loom.

Energy union: including the public imperative

Patrick ten Brink 24th October 2023

Pursuit of industrial competitiveness and renewable technologies must avoid a backlash from disengaged citizens.

Backtracking on a green and just transition?

Patrick ten Brink 4th October 2023

The Granada declaration will signal whether Europe’s leaders can rise to the climate, biodiversity and pollution crises.

Nature Restoration Law: an opportunity crucial to seize

Patrick ten Brink 20th July 2023

The EU Nature Restoration Law has been saved but with its ambition deeply eroded—negotiators must restore its aspirations.

How to promote green industry beyond subsidies

Patrick ten Brink 13th March 2023

The EU has more to offer green industry—a stronger regulatory framework and credible carbon pricing.

Progress and setbacks from COP27

Patrick ten Brink 23rd November 2022

The European Union cannot rely on the United Nations process to deliver and must reinforce its own climate efforts.

Green Deal: the light at the end of the crisis tunnel

Patrick ten Brink 12th October 2022

The faster we deploy the European Green Deal, the quicker we become crisis-proof. Brussels must resist siren calls for inertia.

Pollution: no acceptable levels

Patrick ten Brink 15th June 2021

‘Zero pollution’ is a very good goal for the European Union to adopt—but only if zero means zero.

Leaving behind the EU’s deadly addiction to deregulation

Patrick ten Brink 3rd March 2021

Better regulation is benevolent and participatory, cognisant of complexity and future-oriented. Deregulation it is not.

Returning our food systems to business as usual would be a historic mistake

Patrick ten Brink 23rd April 2020

Amid the coronavirus crisis, some are calling for a deferral of European ecological action. Yet unsustainable food systems are one source of new human diseases.

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WSI Report

WSI Minimum Wage Report 2025

The trend towards significant nominal minimum wage increases is continuing this year. In view of falling inflation rates, this translates into a sizeable increase in purchasing power for minimum wage earners in most European countries. The background to this is the implementation of the European Minimum Wage Directive, which has led to a reorientation of minimum wage policy in many countries and is thus boosting the dynamics of minimum wages. Most EU countries are now following the reference values for adequate minimum wages enshrined in the directive, which are 60% of the median wage or 50 % of the average wage. However, for Germany, a structural increase is still necessary to make progress towards an adequate minimum wage.

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Cohesion Policy

S&D Position Paper on Cohesion Policy post-2027: a resilient future for European territorial equity

Cohesion Policy aims to promote harmonious development and reduce economic, social and territorial disparities between the regions of the Union, and the backwardness of the least favoured regions with a particular focus on rural areas, areas affected by industrial transition and regions suffering from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps, such as outermost regions, regions with very low population density, islands, cross-border and mountain regions.

READ THE FULL POSITION PAPER HERE

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With a comprehensive set of relevant indicators, presented in 85 graphs and tables, the 2025 Benchmarking Working Europe report examines how EU policies can reconcile economic, social and environmental goals to ensure long-term competitiveness. Considered a key reference, this publication is an invaluable resource for supporting European social dialogue.

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Ageing workforce
The evolution of working conditions in Europe

This episode of Eurofound Talks examines the evolving landscape of European working conditions, situated at the nexus of profound technological transformation.

Mary McCaughey speaks with Barbara Gerstenberger, Eurofound's Head of Unit for Working Life, who leverages insights from the 35-year history of the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS).

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Spring Issues

The Summer issue of The Progressive Post is out!


It is time to take action and to forge a path towards a Socialist renewal.


European Socialists struggle to balance their responsibilities with the need to take bold positions and actions in the face of many major crises, while far-right political parties are increasingly gaining ground. Against this background, we offer European progressive forces food for thought on projecting themselves into the future.


Among this issue’s highlights, we discuss the transformative power of European Social Democracy, examine the far right’s efforts to redesign education systems to serve its own political agenda and highlight the growing threat of anti-gender movements to LGBTIQ+ rights – among other pressing topics.

READ THE MAGAZINE

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