Brussels, 08/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels, a few days before the Environment Council on 9 March, at which the review of the EU's sustainable development policy 2005-2010 is due to be debated, a coalition of ten environmental NGOs, calling itself “the G-10”, launched a “dynamic and exhaustive programme” for the sustainable development of the EU (see EUROPE 9145). The NGOs call on European political decision makers to put forward a set of concrete proposals to transform the EU's sustainable development strategy, internal and external, into an ambitious but achievable game plan. The “G-10” is made up of Birdlife International, CEE Bankwatch Network, Climate Action Network Europe, European Environmental Bureau, European Federation of Transport & Environment, European Public Health Alliance-Environment Network, Friends of the Earth Europe, Greenpeace, International Friends of Nature and WWF European Policy Office.
The NGOs consider that the way the Commission is moving to create an action platform (see EUROPE 9090) is a step in the right direction, but that there is still much room for improvement. Setting measurable objectives, says the coalition, is crucial for all key themes, ranging from climate change and energy to social exclusion and transport. It is also vital to ensure better implementation of existing environmental legislation across the EU. These measures then are among the priorities of the programme. Other priorities include a 10% tax-base shift from labour to environmental pressures, reducing by half fuel consumption of new passenger cars over the next decade rather than allowing biofuels to count towards car fuel efficiency objectives, and ensuring greater coordination between Member States on effective and coherent aid policies.
“We hope the Environment Ministers will set an ambitious tone on the Sustainable Development Strategy and that all subsequent Councils will follow their example - resulting in a good outcome in June. The G-10 programme aims to give impetus to the debate on how the EU can become a prosperous and socially fair society that at the same time respects the carrying capacity of the region and the world”, said John Hontelez, Secretary general of the European Environmental Bureau.