Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-04-23-Speech-3-250"
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"en.20080423.21.3-250"2
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There are an estimated 14 million different species of animals and plants on the earth. This goes to show what a fantastic planet we have and the responsibility we bear for its stewardship. However, this biological diversity is under threat. Over 30 000 species are currently threatened with extinction. The main threat is us humans and the economic system we have built up, which is based on constant growth and consumption. We believe this can be achieved through competition instead of planning, and through transport instead of local production. No wonder that we are facing a climate catastrophe and biological impoverishment.
We could turn this trend around. The fact that the EU and its Member States have signed the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is of course good and it can act as an important tool. We thereby undertake, for example, to draw up action plans to protect biological diversity and establish a global network of protected areas on land and at sea, just as one example. However, most of the work remains to be done at EU level. The fundamental basics must be tackled, otherwise we will never be able to solve the environmental problems we face.
I would like to highlight three areas. Transport insanity – the EU is based on no barriers being introduced between Member States. A good must be produced where this is cheapest. Between 1993 and 2000 alone long-distance lorry transport therefore increased by a whole 30%. When the EU and the Member States subsidise infrastructure, motorways always receive far more than sustainable means of transport do. In the former Eastern Europe, the new Member States, the EU is pursuing a veritable asphalt policy with gigantic motorway subsidies. It is railways which should be stimulated, not motorways. Therefore, I say to the Commission: Take a look at subsidy policy.
Talking of subsidies, an incredible amount could be done about agricultural subsidies, EUR 55 billion each year. Subsidies which have a directly negative impact on the environment should not be paid out, and aid to agriculture should be earmarked for environmental measures and organic farming. Biological diversity and climate-smart solutions should be written in as the main objectives of agriculture policy, not maximum yields.
A third basic problem which must be tackled is the internal market. I know that saying so is tantamount to sacrilege, but the EU simply cannot continue to allow the market to take precedence over a progressive environmental policy. Some weeks ago, EU Commissioner Verheugen answered me saying that in the past five years the Commission had taken individual countries to the European Court of Justice 19 times in cases concerning the environment or public health. What is really frightening is that in all of these 19 cases the court followed the Commission's line, in other words, that the Member States were not permitted to implement measures to protect the environment or public health. If we are really serious, we must have an environmental guarantee worthy of the name. We do not have one now and unfortunately the Lisbon Treaty will not give us one either. Market policy will be upheld there too.
To sum up, in our resolution we demand sustainability standards for biofuels. I would like to take the opportunity to put the following question, maybe especially to the Council: Are you prepared to draw up not only environmental criteria for biofuels but also social standards for biofuels, for example, guaranteeing acceptable pay, union rights, etc. for the biofuel we buy in to the Union?"@en1
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