GP Response to Uk Gov'ts Push for a Greener Europe

["greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

RESPONSE TO: 'PRESCOTT TO PUSH FOR GREENER EUROPE' 

The government's environmental priorities for its Presidency of
the European union

EUROPE, January 7, 1998 - Responding to Prescott's announcement
today on the UK Government's push for a Greener Europe,
Executive Director of Greenpeace, Peter Melchett said, "this
announcement demonstrates the Government's desire to take a
strong lead on environmental issues.  This is good news and a
good start to the Presidency. The Presidency represents a
tremendous opportunity for Britain to confirm that it is no
longer the environmental Dodo of Europe".

Although welcoming the attention which the environment will be
given during the next six months, Greenpeace did voice concern
about some major omissions in the announcement, including the
looming threat of Genetic Engineering. 

Peter Melchett said, "The commitment appears to be there, now we
need strong leadership".  Greenpeace highlighted the action
needed to fulfil the announcement's promise, including the need
for the UK itself to catch up with other countries in developing
renewable energy sources and in developing policies on hazardous
chemicals to bring it in line with best European practice.

It urged the UK to use the presidency to push Europe to stick to
its pre-Kyoto 15% target for cutting greenhouse gases and not
the 8% target referred to in Mr Prescott's speech.

ends

Briefing notes on the action Greenpeace has called for during
the British Presidency follows.


For further information please contact the Greenpeace Press
Office on 0171-865 8255/6/7/8


GREENPEACE BRIEFING NOTES

ACTION NEEDED FROM THE UK PRESIDENCY



CLIMATE
The UK Presidency should encourage the EU to go beyond its Kyoto
commitment and, as a minimum, implement the agreed EU position
of 15% emissions reductions by 2010.  It will not be enough if
the EU only focuses on the 8% Kyoto commitment indicated by
Prescott.

In October 1997. The EU Commissioners produced a study which
showed how Europe could achieve a 17% cut in CO2 by 2010 without
economic hardship.

RENEWABLE ENERGY
The most immediate action the UK Presidency can take is to
provide impetus for the Renewables White Paper agreed by the
Commission in November.  This will deliver at least one third of
the EU's pre-Kyoto 15% CO2 target and up to a million new jobs. 
It contains excellent provisions for at least 500,000 solar
roofs and facades within Europe by 2010.  

As EU President, the UK should set an example early in 1998 by
adopting a UK programme for at least 70,000 solar roofs before
2010. 

The UK should lead discussions to agree how the 12% renewable
energy target is shared amongst Member States.  The UK itself
should give a lead by adjusting its own renewable energy target,
presently just 10%. This target is currently only applied in
Britain to electricity supplies, it should be increased to at
least the 12% and applied to all energy requirements, not simply
electricity.


A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY POLICY
During the UK Presidency the EU should begin work to translate
its target on long-term temperature rise (2 deg C above pre-
industrial levels) into energy policies which will deliver this
target. 

Sustainable energy policies must include:
*    Stopping plans to allow the expansion of exploration for
oil and gas reserves
*    Stopping all technical and other developments that would
facilitate the exploration of unconventional oil and gas
reserves *     Beginning the phase out of coal power stations
and coal mining *   Promotion of renewable energy in line with
the Renewables White Paper


MORE/2...
...Briefing Notes/2


*    A switch of the subsidy regime from oil to renewables 
*    Removal of financial incentives to the nuclear industry *A
decision to waste no more money on fusion
*    Each member state to be required to develop its own
sustainable energy policies

OCEAN DUMPING
The UK Presidency has a key opportunity to lead preparations for
the OSPAR Commission for the Protection of the Marine
Environment meeting in Lisbon in July.  

Greenpeace warmly welcomes the UK Government's adoption of a
"general presumption against sea disposal" for radioactive and
hazardous substances and off-shore installations announced by
Environment Minister Michael Meacher in September 1997. 

The UK should facilitate discussions to resolve the key
outstanding issues so that a permanent ban on dumping at sea of
disused offshore installations can be agreed by the OSPAR
parties, in line with UK Environment Minister Michael Meacher's
Labour Party Conference address that "there will be no more
Brent Spars under Labour".

The UK should promote agreement on the objective of
"continuously reducing discharges, emissions and losses of
radioactive substances, with the ultimate aim of achieving
concentrations in the environment near background values for
naturally occurring radioactive substances and close to zero for
artificially occurring radioactive substances". The UK can show
a practical lead by fulfilling its commitment to demonstrate how
it will reduce discharges of technetium-99 into the Irish Sea
from Sellafield.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOs)
Today's announcement notably misses out the hot issue of
genetically modified organisms.   The framework legislation for
all releases of GMOs into the environment, (the Deliberate
Release Directive 90/220/EEC) is likely to come before Council
for amendment during the UK Presidency. 

The UK Presidency should propose a Europe-wide moratorium on
marketing of all GMO crops and foods to prevent irreversible
harm to the environment and to public health, and to enable a
thorough reassessment of all GMOs which have already received
marketing consent.


MORE/3...
...Briefing Notes/3



TOXIC POLLUTION
The EU has taken no substantive steps towards its commitment to
phase out hazardous substances (1995 Esbjerg Declaration, 1996
Barcelona Convention), and today's UK Government announcement
does not give any attention to how that will be amended.  

The production, use and disposal of halogenated products like
PVC is a major source of toxic, biocumulative and persistent
substances.  Sweden has decided to phase out PVC.  Likewise, the
EU as a whole should adopt a PVC phase-out.

Under the UK presidency Council could and should reinstate a
phase-out of use of PVC and heavy metals in the End-of-Life
vehicles Directive. This was dropped from the Commission's draft
Directive (July 1997) after industry lobbying.  PVC from the 8-9
million cars scrapped in the EU each year is a major source of
dioxin emissions from steelworks, incinerators, cement kilns and
landfill fires.  This is completely unnecessary, safer
alternatives are available for all uses.