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Liz LynneLiberal Democrat MEP for the West Midlands 1999-2012 |
EU's GREEN AUDIT SHOWS NEED FOR STRASBOURG RED LIGHT
June 6, 2008 10:00 AM
The European Parliament's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is making good progress bringing down Parliament's carbon footprint, but it is massively undermined by the monthly trips to Strasbourg, according to a local Liberal Democrat MEP.
Liz Lynne MEP has long campaigned with her Liberal Democrat colleagues to stop the Strasbourg 'travelling circus' and is frustrated the EU's national governments are dragging their feet on this issue.
Speaking today in Brussels, Liz Lynne said:
"This week we have been celebrating Green Week, bringing some of the best minds together to discuss European environmental policy and practice, yet the Strasbourg trips make a mockery of our efforts to tackle climate change. The Parliament is working hard to reduce its carbon footprint where it can, using green energy and switching to more energy-efficient equipment, but ridiculously cannot change where it sits.
"A vast majority of MEPs want a single seat for the Parliament, yet because of what national governments, including the British and French, have agreed, we are stuck with this unpopular travelling circus which costs over £130 million each year. Moving 785 MEPs, their staff and trunks of documents between Strasbourg and Brussels has a huge environmental impact and must be stopped."
ENDS
PHOTO CAPTION: Liz Lynne at the Green Week exhibition at the European Parliament in Brussels.
Notes to Editors:
The Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament have long called for a single seat for the European Parliament in Brussels.
The European Parliament is the only parliament in the world that has more than one official seat. MEPs divide their time between Strasbourg and Brussels. Unfortunately, it is also the only parliament in the world that does not have the right to decide upon the location of its seat. John Major signed the Maastricht Treaty establishing this arrangement which can only be reversed by a unanimous decision by all EU Heads of State.
In a survey of MEPs last year, a majority of those who voted wanted an end to the Strasbourg Parliament in favour of a single seat. The survey was organised by the Campaign for Parliament Reform (CPR) the international, cross-party grouping, of which Liz Lynne is a member, The CPR also organised last year's www.oneseat.eu petition that over 1.1 million Europeans have signed.
Of the 39% of MEPs who participated, 89% voted in favour of a fixed parliament and 81% wanted the permanent seat to be in Brussels. In addition, 84% felt the Parliament itself should have the right to decide its location.
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