European Manifesto 2004
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EUROPEAN ELECTION MANIFESTO 2004 From our MEPs Real Progress: The future is Green A Message from Jean Lambert A Message from Caroline Lucas This manifesto puts forward a distinctive radical message that is based Contents Green MEP for London Green MEP for South East England on our core principles of ecological sustainability and economic justice. The EU needs the Greens. Hard-won gains Being elected as one of Britain’s first Green From our MEPs Inside front cover such as the commitment to sustainable MEPs has been a wonderful opportunity to In 1999, the British people elected two Green Party history. We want a social Europe, one that protects The future is Green 1 members of the European Parliament. In 2000, London workers, public services and minorities. We want a development and conflict prevention are at raise the profile of the Green Party and green returned three Green members of the London Assembly. commonsense Europe, one that works for the interests of Protecting our environment 2 risk if the Greens aren’t there to push policy politics in the UK and, working with In 2003, Scotland returned seven Green members of the all. An economy for people and planet 6 in that direction. It was teamwork between colleagues, to act as a catalyst for vitally Scottish Parliament. Greens in other countries have Some decisions are best made at a European level. We Safe food and sustainable farming 10 Green MEPs and environment ministers that needed change within the EU – for peace, ministers of state and members of national applaud the environmental, judicial and safety Transport 14 kept the Kyoto Protocol alive. Greens have justice, and equality. The past five years parliaments. legislation that has come out of Europe. We want a Energy 16 With each election, Greens progress. Green Europe that sets decent minimum standards on matters been the most effective opponents of GMOs have been immensely rewarding. I believe parliamentarians deal with the pragmatic day-to-day of concern, whilst allowing individual states the freedom Peace and security 18 and the strongest advocates of organic that our work is having a real impact, world of European politics whilst retaining the vision that to set higher social, environmental and animal Defending and strengthening public services 22 farming. We have supported civil liberties particularly on issues of globalisation, local inspired our founders 30 years ago. protection standards without fear of being prosecuted Human rights and equalities 26 and human rights when others have sought food chains and sustainability. We need a political system that allows us all to become for failing to expose their economies to so-called ‘free Animal rights 30 to erode them, whether in the EU or There is a vacuum in British politics today. fully engaged in the decisions that affect us all. Our market’ competition. In conclusion 32 opponents say that globalisation is inevitable, corporate We want a Europe that puts people before the profits elsewhere in the world, such as Chechnya. It I aim to promote the Green Party as a power unstoppable, environmental protection too and interests of big business, one that takes its Our prospective candidates Inside back cover is the Greens who expose the tensions credible and articulate voice in British expensive, genetically modified food unavoidable, and so responsibility to the poorer nations seriously – both between free market policies and political life, based on its radical vision. As on. Greens challenge this. We can either go on as before, within Europe and globally. We want a Europe where environmental and social needs. UK Green the grey parties squabble over the centre supporting policies that threaten our very existence, or justice and sustainability underpin every aspect of MEPs are at the forefront of this. ground, the opportunities for the Greens are we can embrace a new kind of politics, a real alternative political decision-making. to the greedy consumerism that allows the minority to Voting Green means helping to elect politicians who To challenge and change the EU, we need greater than ever. survive and grow rich at the expense of the majority. care about present-day needs as well as our future. It Give Greens a strong voice in Europe more Greens in the European Parliament. The task of challenging poverty, injustice, We believe in Europe. But we don’t believe in a means giving Greens a stronger voice in Europe to Your vote can help get them there. Electing and environmental degradation has never European super-state. We want a Europe where decisions protect your environment. It means helping to ensure Vote Green on 10 June Greens makes your voice louder. been so urgent. Getting more Green MEPs are made by elected parliamentarians and not behind that your children and grandchildren are brought up in a elected is a major way to build on the work closed doors. We want transparency and accountability. world in harmony with nature, rather than one that We want a Europe that believes people know and squanders resources meant for the next generation and we have started, to take our distinctive understand their local communities and are best placed disrupts nature’s capacity to sustain life. Green politics message to as many people as possible, to make decisions that affect their daily lives. We believe demands that we side with the oppressed, not the encouraging them to join us, and together in a Europe that is culturally, ethnically and economically oppressors. achieve Real Progress. diverse, where rights are protected for all and discrimination, poverty and inequality are consigned to Above all, Green politics is about Real Progress. 1 Environment Protecting our future Environmental protection and The aim of EU environmental standards recognised the devastating effects of Contraction gradually reduces the planet’s Our MEPs’ achievements so far ... should be to stop the destruction of the climate change as long ago as the 1980s. CO2 emissions to a sustainable annual sustainable development should be at ecosystems on which we depend. Too many Increased temperatures will lead to amount. Convergence ensures that all Green Party MEPs challenge policymakers to put the the heart of everything the European of these standards have already been increased evaporation rates from the countries’ emissions converge over time to environment at the heart of legislation. Jean Lambert has watered down in practice by governments oceans, heavier and more frequent rainfall a position where entitlement to emit is worked on the climate change and energy agenda, promoting a Union does. We have one earth, which under pressure from powerful industrial inland, with accompanying increases in proportional to population. Green vision for London's Energy Strategy. we share with other creatures. We see lobbies. The EU must put public safety local flooding. This is already happening in Jean has challenged the construction of waste incinerators, the continued destruction of species before potential commercial gain. the UK. The elevated energy of the climate Greens call for promoting instead a zero-waste principle. She aims to extend Environmental considerations are system will give rise to a higher incidence of • the EU to introduce tough measures to public participation in decision-making through changing and and habitats, the spread of deserts, incorporated into all sections of this extreme weather events such as storms, persuade the US and other nations to enforcing legislation. She has challenged the government on toxic chemicals in the environment, manifesto. The environment is not an add- while the rise in global temperature will be sign up to and implement the Kyoto the sustainability of East London’s Thames Gateway on extra. It is the basis of all our policies – enough to begin to melt the polar ice caps Protocol regeneration, fighting to protect the green belt from pollution in our air, rivers and seas, to ensure ecological, social and economic and thereby raise sea level, leading to development. • the Kyoto Protocol to be strengthened justice for all. coastal flooding and land loss. The World Caroline Lucas led a media campaign on the issue of climate change spiralling out of substantially so that it can become an Health Organisation has warned that global nanotechnology, and co-hosted the European Parliament's first effective long-term climate change treaty control. We should protect our We endorse the programme of Europe’s eight warming could lead to a major increase in public hearing on the subject, commissioning research on • all future relevant EU legislation to be common home and stop this massive largest environmental organisations – the insect-borne diseases in Britain, including whether EU regulation is adequate. She has forced the Green 8 – in their Manifesto for the European malaria and encephalitis. drafted so as to enable the EU to achieve Commission to investigate the UK government subsidies to Elections. experiment with our future, the The Kyoto Protocol, the international its Kyoto commitments and allow for British Energy’s failing nuclear industry, and whether the further substantial CO reductions outcome of which could have the treaty on climate change, must be 2 government broke EU safety laws when permitting the release Tackling climate change supported by all nations. Green MEPs will • the EU to adopt the principles of of nuclear waste into the River Tamar. Caroline has successfully gravest consequences for us all. Climate change is potentially the most work to strengthen the Kyoto Protocol to set contraction and convergence. defended Europe's plans to improve the safety of bathing water serious environmental challenge facing realistic targets – advocating measures to and extended the law to bathers and to others such as surfers. humankind. Yet the political and corporate force the US to live up to its global Protecting biodiversity response to this problem has been grossly responsibilities.