Strasbourg--11 October 1995-- Greenpeace today called the European Commission the lapdog of the French Government after its failure to enforce one of Europe's founding treaties and to halt France's nuclear testing programme in the South Pacific.
The Commission's credibility is now at stake since it has further delayed its final decision on the French violations of the EURATOM treaty, said Greenpeace's Louise Gale. In a letter to the French Government, the Commission has again asked for more information before its special meeting on 23 October (Monday) to decide whether to take France to the European Court of Justice.
After the decision was announced in Strasbourg this evening, Greenpeace let off a loud siren at the European Parliament buildings, in protest at the delay.
Greenpeace called on the European Parliament and the member states to take the Commission to court for failure to act. The EU member states should take France to Court for breaching the Treaty.
The role and the very existence of the European Commission must now be seriously questioned in the light of its failure to censure France's nuclear testing programme, despite blatant breaches of European law by France.
"The Commission's own analysis clearly identifies major
violations of the treaty. The Commission's failure to take Chirac to task is a purely political decision," said Louise Gale. "The European Commission is supposed to be the 'Guardian of the Treaties', but all we have got now is a lapdog of the French Government."
Gale added that it was time France stopped keeping the environmental impacts of its testing programme a secret. France should provide information to the Commission instead of denying its scientists access to its test sites at Fangataufa and Moruroa as it did this month. "If testing is so safe, why is France trying to hide the scientific findings on environmental impacts?" she said.
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For information please contact;
Louise Gale mobile in Strasbourg ++31 6 53106595 or Fransce Verdeuzeldonk ++31 6 531 06593.
Simon Carroll in Greenpeace European Unit ++32 2 280 1400
EUROPEAN COMMISSION: LAPDOG OF THE FRENCH?