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7 June, 2001

Greenpeace Head says Italian Prime Minister, Berlusconi, is Threatening a Split in Europe on Kyoto

Luxemburg - Gerd Leipold, the newly appointed International Executive Director of Greenpeace, today warned the EU and member countries that a split in their position would threaten the whole Kyoto Protocol process.

In meetings with Environment Ministers and commissioner Margot Wallstrom in Luxembourg on June 7th, Mr. Leipold said the EU, and specifically Italy, could bend under pressure from the US administration. This risks wrecking the Kyoto process.

President Bush has already demonstrated he is a Climate Criminal. It seems Silvio Berlusconi is prepared to join the same criminal gang and follow their dangerous and irresponsible path.

The risk is that the incoming Italian government will undermine the common European position. Europe will lose its leading position in getting the world to let the Kyoto Protocol enter into force by 2002. It could end any hope for this international agreement on climate change.

We expect the other countries in the EU to hit the new Italian government hard and spell out clearly it is unacceptable to change the EU position at this stage in the preparations for the EU summit on June 14.

People in Europe expect their leaders at the European Summit in Gothenburg to give a clear political signal that they will go ahead with ratification, regardless of the US position or any alternative proposal the Bush administration may formulate. This requires a clear and separate declaration on Kyoto. There have been enough delaying tactics. It is now time to put words into deeds.

More:

New Greenpeace ED announces climate as the world's most important issue

Gerd Leipold's full statement
Gerd Leipold's backgrounder
The climate cannot wait for Bush, but if Bush doesn't change the climate
will

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