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Britain must set example to EU on environment

7 January 1998

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has announced that the UK Government is to tackle six areas as part of the its work in the Presidency:

  1. Climate Change:implementing the decisions of the Kyoto summit
  2. Air Pollution:including pollution from vehicles and air quality standards
  3. Biodiversity
  4. Fisheries:including the phasing out of drift nets
  5. Enlargement:looking at the environmental investment necessary to set common standards across the enlarged EU.
  6. Transport:including a joint EU Environment and Transport Council.

Friends of the Earth has responded by making four demands to the Government:

  1. The UK must stick to the 20% greenhouse gas cut by 2010 promised by Labour before the General Election. The UK Presidency should also help persuade EU member states to work to the 15% target for the EU, proposed before the Kyoto summit, rather than the 8% target eventually agreed
  2. The UK presidency should promote green tax reform, and this should be reflected in the next UK Budget, with change on vehicle tax and taxation on gross polluters
  3. The UK should demand urgent reform of the CAP, and money to support new EU members in meeting environment targets should come from this source
  4. The UK should promote environment awareness across the EU, and work to ensure that green policies are carried out in the EU's Agricultural and Energy Directorates.
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Commenting, FOE's Executive Director Charles Secrett said: “We welcome the Government's decision to make the environment a key theme of Britain's Presidency of the EU. Now the Government must show that it is serious by setting an example to other EU members with radical action at home. It is time for a truly green budget. And it is time to meet the targets on greenhouse gases which Labour promised before the General Election. Meanwhile, passing the Road Traffic Reduction Bill and implementing new law on wildlife and habitat protection would set an excellent example to other EU states. It is good that John Prescott has started a green crusade in Europe. Now we need his colleagues, and particularly the Prime Minister and the Chancellor, to back him up”



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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust

 

 

Last modified: Jul 2008