Ahead of this week’s EU Summit, the Green 10 network of leading environmental organizations encourages EU heads of government to break the link between the banking and the sovereign debt crises. Governments must regain the ability to implement policies that will transform the EU economy to make it more resource efficient and resilient to worsening …
€1 trillion opportunity for investment and jobs missed
The EU Summit, initially planned to discuss the purpose and effectiveness of the future €1 trillion EU Budget 2014-2020, was instead used to focus on a disputed attempt at a fiscal union and more quick fix bank bailouts – which to date have cost the tax payer over €4.5 trillion [1]. As governments put more …
€1 trillion opportunity for investment and jobs missedRead more
EU budget must not subsidise fossil fuels
Ahead of discussions this week about how the next one trillion euros EU budget will be spent, EU ministers are being urged to get rid of provisions that would allow public money to subsidise the fossil fuels industry. The open letter [1] endorsed by more than 20 leading environment groups comes in response to the …
European pensions drive land grabs in global south
More than 60 environmental, development and farming groups are calling on governments and financial institutions to put a stop to land grabbing financed by European pension funds, banks and insurance companies. Driven by high food prices, increasing demand for agrofuels, raw materials and livestock, and low returns from beleaguered financial markets, large-scale acquisitions of land …
Farming reforms head in wrong direction
Proposals under discussion today for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy fall far short of what is needed to make European farming more green, says Friends of the Earth Europe. A draft report by the European Parliament’s farming committee and a progress report from EU agriculture ministers represent latest developments in the debate, and both …
Not enough ambition to reach an energy efficient Europe
Europe’s energy ministers have reached a compromise on improving energy efficiency in Europe. This follows months of negotiations with the European Parliament. The compromise deal is a welcome step, but lacks ambition and is too weak to fully realise the EU’s agreed 20% energy savings target according to Friends of the Earth Europe. The Energy …
Not enough ambition to reach an energy efficient EuropeRead more