Committee on Environment Protection approves the Green Card initiated by the Danish Parliament

Press release, 25 September 2025 (News ● Photos ● Broadcasts and videos)

The Folketing of the Kingdom of Denmark has addressed the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania regarding their so-called Green Card initiative. The initiative proposes calling on the European Commission to draw up an action plan for plant-based foods. The objective of the initiative is to promote a transformation of the EU’s food system by enhancing food security, strategic autonomy, and competitiveness.

Through innovation and traditional knowledge, plant-based foods and biosolutions can make a significant contribution to improving the EU’s food system. Such transformation could provide new business opportunities for farmers and the broader food sector. Additionally, it has the potential to enhance the EU’s preparedness for food security across the food chain, reduce the EU’s dependency on imports of food and fertilisers from non-friendly countries, boost synergies with organic farm practices, improve animal welfare, and contribute to the decarbonisation of the agri-food sector. All of this would help future-proof the food sector to ensure it goes hand in hand with nature.

The Seimas Committee on Environment Protection has welcomed the Danish Folketing’s initiative on the promotion of plant-based foods, maintaining that it is in line with the EU climate neutrality objectives and contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector. The promotion of local plant-based protein production reduces pressures on global deforestation, thereby helping to protect biodiversity. At the same time, sustainable livestock farming ensures the supply of organic fertilisers and contributes to the completion of the nutrient cycle, thus improving soil fertility. 

According to Tomas Tomilinas, Member of the Seimas Committees on Environment Protection and on European Affairs, the Seimas should support the Green Card initiative of the Danish Folketing, as it would strengthen the role of national parliaments in EU decision-making and ensure greater democratic accountability. It would allow representatives of Member States to defend their countries’ interests more actively at an early legislative stage, bring citizens closer to the EU decision-making, and prevent unfavourable or excessive EU regulation.

The Green Card is an instrument of interparliamentary cooperation between national parliaments, designed to facilitate political dialogue with the European Commission. It allows parliaments to jointly propose new initiatives for the Commission to develop. It acts as an official request or proposal reflecting the views of a group of EU parliaments, but does not in itself create any legal obligations. 

Rasa Matusevičiūtė, Adviser, Office of the Committee on Environment Protection, tel. +370 5 209 6190, e-mail: [email protected]