European Greens urge EU leaders to resist pressure to water down climate change policies:
The Spokespersons of the European Green Party today called on the EU leaders due to meet at their annual Spring Summit in Brussels on 13th and 14th March to resist pressure from some member states to water down the goals set out in the European Commission's Climate Change Package which it presented in January.
EGP Co-Spokesperson Philippe Lamberts said: "As European Greens, we have said that the Commission's package of legislative proposals on climate and energy includes a number of progressive policy changes but lacks the ambition which the urgency of the situation requires, particularly as it is based on a target of a 20% reduction in greenhouse emissions by 2020, rather than the 30 % reduction which all credible scientific analysis shows will be required to avoid the most disastrous effects of Climate Change. So we are extremely concerned that several member states plan to use this week's Spring Summit to water down even these proposals, which are much less ambitious than they should be. France and Germany must also be criticised for reaching a bilateral agreement to impose less rigid limits on car emissions than those proposed by the commission. The attempt by Industry Commissioner, Günther Verheugen, supported by some member states, including Germany and Austria, to obtain exemptions for large industry is another worrying example of an attempt to further weaken the EU's climate strategy and must be resisted. The EU leaders must stand firm against those who want the EU to shirk its responsibility to take a leading role in the fight against Climate Change."
EGP Co-Spokesperson Ulrike Lunacek continued: "During the Spring Summit the EU leaders will be discussing a new report from Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relationson the extremely serious security risks which Climate Change poses for the EU. The report highlights a number of risks ranging from an increased likelihood of conflict over global energy resources to a huge increase in the number of "environmental migrants" attempting to enter the EU to escape the disastrous effects of Climate Change. Greens have long argued that the Climate Change is not only a threat in itself but also a "threat multiplier" and so welcome the fact that the Commission now recognises this. It is vital that the EU member states heed the warning that this report represents and urgently reach agreement on the measures they will take to deal with this challenge."
