Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-01-17-Speech-2-316"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2006-01-17"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Application of the Århus Convention to EC institutions and bodies2
dcterms:Language	"da"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20060117.23.2-316"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2006-01-17-Speech-2-3172
lpv:speaker	lp:Margrete Auken2
lpv:spokenAs	member; DEVE (2005-01-26--2007-01-14)3 unknown; Socialistisk Folkeparti (2004-07-20--2009-07-13)3 substitute; Delegation for relations with Israel (2004-09-15--2007-03-13)3 member; TRAN (2004-07-21--2007-01-14)3 substitute; ENVI (2004-07-21--2007-01-14)3 member; G/EFA (2004-07-20--2009-07-13)3 member; Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council (2004-09-15--2007-03-13)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, if the Århus Convention is to work as intended in the EU, it is crucial that the rules also guarantee certain environmental organisations’ access to testing by the courts. The Council’s common position does not, however, give the NGOs such access. The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety has therefore, quite correctly, supported the Commission’s original proposal and re-introduced this element. I regret that many members of the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats are attempting to prevent the Århus Convention from being fairly implemented. Have they learned nothing from the French and Dutch ‘no’ votes? If we are to increase understanding of, and support for, the EU project, grass-roots participation and control are hugely important. Take a current example. The European Parliament has decided to take proceedings against the Commission in the case of the brominated flame retardant BDE, on which the Commission has lifted the ban without having been given the right to do so by the legislator. Moreover, the Danish Government has followed suit by taking similar legal proceedings. The environmental organisations too need, however, to be able to take action when EU laws are broken. Now, the chemicals industry has been at its tricks again, keeping the citizens at bay. Individual citizens cannot have decisions in the environmental sphere tested because there is no individual interest. However, NGOs take care of public interests within the environmental and health spheres, so they should have access, in the EU too, to testing by the courts. What we have here, of course, is a case of David and Goliath. The environmental organisations take care of public interests, while the chemicals industry, with huge sums of money behind it, can force decisions through the EU system. We saw this with REACH. Without transparency and grass-roots access to the Court of Justice, the EU is developing into an apology for a democracy."@en1

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