right now. for the future. euro election manifesto 2019 introduction We are full of excitement to be standing in these European elections. This is a moment when we can restore hope, celebrate the potential that Europe has to improve all our futures, and start looking forward again. We can seize this opportunity – with your help. The Green Party has a comprehensive plan to put some joy back into our politics – to get us out of the Brexit mess, to stop climate change before it is too late and to rebuild our communities. A vote for the Green Party in these elections is a vote to: » Remain in the EU, through putting the question of Brexit back to the people and mobilising a positive, pro-European movement to win the People’s Vote for Remain. » Recharge the fight against climate change, by electing MEPs who know we need to act now to save our wildlife, our environment and ultimately our planet from catastrophe. » Rebuild our communities through dedicated work in the UK and across borders, to restore opportunities and address inequality. While our public services were dismantled by privatisation, our communities hollowed out by corporations and our wallets emptied by bankers, Europe was wrongly presented as the cause of these problems by the Leave campaign. These problems are very real, but leaving Europe is not the answer. Europe is part of the solution. green party euro elections manifesto 2 Green MEPs are well equipped to undertake the detailed work we need to enable European co-operation to help us tackle these problems - to restore hope in the future, for people and the places they love. As the largest group of UK Remain MEPs in the 2014-2019 Parliament, Green MEPs delivered huge wins for the areas they represent, from reclaiming public money lost to tax avoidance to protecting our countryside and wildlife by banning toxic pesticides. Green MEPs elected in 2019 will continue this work. They won’t just strive to stop Brexit – they will tackle the causes of Brexit in their communities to help ensure the current chaos never happens again. This Manifesto sets how Green MEPs will work to keep the UK in the EU, recharge the fight against climate change and deliver in nine priority areas for their communities – from creating decent jobs to ending plastic waste once and for all. You can rely on elected Greens to do the right thing. As a Party we have been consistently on the right side of history – fighting austerity from the start, challenging climate damaging infrastructure and calling for a People’s Vote. We have always celebrated freedom of movement, and always will. Greens have led the way with good ideas. Where Greens lead, others follow. Your vote is powerful in these elections. By voting Green, you can help consign this Brexit chaos to the past, and start rebuilding – Right now. For the future. 3 green party euro elections manifesto green party euro elections manifesto 4 As Greens, we are proud of the leadership The Green Party will play a leading role 1 Caroline Lucas has shown in resisting in mobilising a positive pro-European Brexit and steering the country towards movement to contest the referendum, a more positive future. We are also proud to convincingly set out how a vote for of the work our Green MEPs have done Remain will build a better future for all. in the European Parliament, upholding A People’s Vote and a Remain victory can the rights of EU citizens affected by be the start of the genuine social and Brexit and resisting attacks on the high economic transformation this country environmental standards forged by the needs – toxic top-down politics banished, European Parliament. This is all at risk if with people power taking its place. we leave the EU. Together we can put the difficult years behind us, and lift its shadow from our The Green Party supports a People’s Vote families, communities and country. on Brexit, with Remain on the ballot paper, to help find a genuinely democratic route out of the Brexit chaos. We need a meaningful debate about the relationship we want with Europe – looking to the needs of the future, not the obsessions of politicians stuck in the past. This debate needs to be driven not by dirty money and party political point scoring, but by honest discussion about how we tackle the inequalities in this country. In that democratic debate, the Green Remain Party will argue for the UK to remain part of the European Union. We believe in the power of working with our neighbours, to address the real problems we face – the challenges of climate breakdown, in the EU social inequality and poverty don’t stop at borders. 5 green party euro elections manifesto green party euro elections manifesto 6 Calls for real action on climate are coming To make this transition possible, we need 2 from every corner of Britain and beyond. to transform the transport sector and make No country can tackle this threat alone. trains a real alternative to planes across We’ll deliver a renewables revolution Europe and overcome our dependency across the continent. on polluting cars as quickly as possible. We need to stop the increasing pollution There is a Climate Emergency and we from aviation and to invest extensively must be Carbon Neutral by 2030. in regional and cross-border railway networks. To level the playing field Climate change is the defining challenge between train and air traffic, flights need of our times. Without addressing climate to be fairly taxed. We must also understand change, humanity will create momentous and act upon the whole environmental havoc and render many parts of the globe impact of all transport options including basically uninhabitable including the EU shipping, particularly cruise ships. and the United Kingdom. But the answer to the climate crisis does exist: Our As Greens we’ve been deeply inspired by energy generation must be from 100% the sight of young people fighting for their renewable sources, we must use our future in the Youth Strikes for Climate and energy efficiently, phase out fossil energy the citizen-led Extinction Rebellion. All our and nuclear power whilst creating quality policies draw on our understanding of the sustainable jobs in affected regions. need to protect our precious planet and the climate that allows us to live. We will drive the principles, process and practice of a just transition towards a net- zero-emissions economy. An EU carbon budget and a carbon tax are needed to Green wins during 2014-2019: accelerate the climate transition. We must cut emissions fast enough to prevent » Ensuring that the EU committed a a climate catastrophe and not breach target that by 2030, one third of all RECHARGE the Paris Climate Agreement of global energy would come from renewable temperatures not exceeding 1.5°C of sources. pre-industrial levels. We advocate phasing » Achieved the phasing out of palm oil as out coal and other fossil fuels to work to a biofuel in transport. ensure we are Carbon Neutral by 2030. » Introduced target for Nearly Zero Fossil and nuclear subsidies must stop Energy Buildings (NZEBs) as standard THE FIGHT AGAINST now. Europe needs to divest from fossil for all buildings by 2050. fuels and to pull private and public funds » Strengthening the regulation on CO2 from fossil investments. emission standards for new heavy- duty vehicles, meaning large reductions CLIMATE CHANGE in their CO2 emissions. 7 green party euro elections manifesto green party euro elections manifesto 8 Green ambition for 2019-2024: 3 » Bring forward the principles, process and practice for the EU to be Carbon Neutral by 2030 which includes phasing out of all fossil fuels, promoting energy efficiency and a move to 100% renewables. » Making subsidies to fossil fuels illegal. » Introducing an EU-wide frequent flyer levy and removing the tax advantages for the aviation industry. REBUILD OUR COMMUNITIES 9 green party euro elections manifesto green party euro elections manifesto 10 Green wins in 2014-2019: Tax The Rich » The Green group with partners were key in the fight against tax avoidance through cross-border cooperation on Tax avoidance has stripped the public taxation and created an obligation for purse, leading to cuts, austerity and misery tax advisors to publish any cross- across the country. We’ll chase unpaid border tax-optimisation schemes they taxes across borders, making sure the rich use. The driving force for a far tougher and the criminal have nowhere to hide EU stance against money laundering their stolen money. and tighter controls on financial flows, through the adoption of the Anti- Everybody must pay their fair share in money Laundering Directive. taxes because corporate tax evasion » A Green and partners report into and corporate tax avoidance undermine how IKEA avoided up to €1 billion in a fair and just society. Our societies are taxes through various tax avoidance becoming increasingly divided where schemes, encouraged the EU unfair taxation contributes to inequality. Commission to launch an in-depth probe into the tax arrangements of the Greens will develop tax regimes that company. do not continue to privilege large multinational corporations and wealthy Green ambition for 2019-2024: individuals. We have fought hard in the European Parliament for more tax justice. » Adopt an action plan to tax the super- We will continue to crack down on tax rich, to ensure those whose wealth havens, tax evasion, tax avoidance and is in excess of £3million contribute money laundering. It is unacceptable that equitably. a number of multinational corporations as » Break up supersized accounting well as big internet platforms pay almost firms who act as both poacher and no taxes at all.