CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ‘GREENS FOR A BETTER EUROPE’

· Led on crafting EU air pollution laws which have landed the UK Government in court three times for breaching toxic air limits

· Helped to establish European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) which give citizens access to emergency healthcare across the EU

· Secured a VAT exemption for small businesses across the EU

​· Banned illegally logged timber from being sold in the EU

Over the past 20 years, the UK’s Green MEPs have been hugely influential in the European Parliament. Everyone living in modern Britain – and the rest of the EU27 – will have been touched by the causes they have campaigned for, and the progressive policies that have resulted. Should Brexit go ahead, UK citizens look set to lose many of these rights and protections.

A new book, Greens for a Better Europe: Twenty Years of UK Green Influence in the European Parliament, 1999-2019, reveals the untold story of the UK’s current and former Green MEPs: Caroline Lucas, Jean Lambert, Keith Taylor and Molly Scott Cato.

The book – which can be downloaded for free – brings together academics, journalists, campaigners and Green MEPs from across the EU to chart and analyse two decades of Green achievements. Contributors to the book include environmentalist Tony Juniper, the University of Strathclyde’s Wolfgang Rüdig, Make Votes Matter’s Klina Jordan and Owen Winter and former Green Party leader Natalie Bennett.

Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, said:

“I am proud of the contribution that Green MEPs from the UK made to the European Union in our 20 years there. In an increasingly divided political world, we fought for what was right, and we did so while swimming against the tide more often than not.

Greens for a Better Europe highlights what our Party can achieve when the electoral system is not stacked against us, and when we work closely with our European neighbours in pursuit of shared, ambitious, green goals.”

Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London, said:

“Over the past two decades, the UK’s Green MEPs have led on many issues that other parties have only just begun to recognise, and on which they are still far behind.

This book gives an insight into how the Greens have worked with colleagues, across party lines, to make Europe a safer, healthier and greener place.

These pages also make it dazzlingly clear that the British political system is broken. The UK’s approach, which treats compromise as a dirty word, now threatens to undermine the rights and protections we have fought so hard for. British politicians have a huge amount to learn from their European neighbours about how politics can, and should, be done.”

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for the South East of England, said:

“UK Greens have been making a difference in the EU for two decades now. That we’re reflecting on that fact as Britain hurtles towards a catastrophic Brexit is beyond bittersweet.

Greens for a Better Europe is loaded with success stories that demonstrate what we can achieve when we work together with our European partners and friends to improve the lives of 500 million citizens across Britain and the EU.

Brexit is a disaster. This book will inevitably put the spotlight on exactly what we have to lose. But it also sets out a vision for how Greens can maintain our internationalist efforts to collaborate with our allies across Europe, and the world, to tackle the biggest crises facing our planet today.”

Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP for South West England and Gibraltar, added:

“Greens in the European Parliament have always punched well above our weight. Our influence has far exceeded the size of our electoral support. This is proof that the radical ideas we put forward on a green economy and sustainable finance; the precautionary principle and a more equal society, are in fact common sense proposals that work for the common good and are therefore hard to oppose.

It is also fair to say that we would not have witnessed the influence of the UK’s Green MEPs had it not been for the proportional system used for European elections. It is ironic that ‘take back control’ could end the most democratic national elections the UK has ever seen.

We live in a world that is increasingly interconnected. We cannot solve global problems like climate breakdown and corporate tax avoidance as one country. In our globalised economy we need to work together, as Europeans and as global citizens, to find just and sustainable solutions.”

“If we don’t change we will perish. Only the Greens truly recognise this. Strong Green Party voices at every level of government are vital.”

Sir Mark Rylance (Actor, theatre producer and director) – “I can say with confidence that the power of Greens and their ideas in politics have never been more essential.”

Tony Juniper (Campaigner and environmentalist) – “England’s Green MEPs have been among the highest profile and most effective MEPs, so far as civil society is concerned.”

Nick Dearden (Director, Global Justice Now) – “England’s Green MEPs have been among the highest profile and most effective MEPs, so far as civil society is concerned.” 

Notes:​​

Title: Greens for a Better Europe; Twenty Years of UK Green Influence in the European Parliament, 1999-2019
Editor: Liam Ward
Publication: 7th March 2019
Formats: Paperback, ePub and iPDF
ISBN: 978 1 907994 88 3
Price: FREE

Authors: Caroline Lucas, Tony Juniper, Keith Taylor, Molly Scott Cato, Jean Lambert, Reinhard Butikofer, Wolfgang Rudig, Samir Jeraj, Natalie Bennett, Klina Jordan, Owen Winter.

Distributors: Barnett’s of Wadhurst; Griffin Books, Penarth; Philip Howard Books, Leeds; Chepstow Books & Gifts; News from Nowhere, Liverpool; Five Leaves Bookshop, Nottingham; Stoke Newington Bookshop, London; The Book House, Oxfordshire; Warwick Books; Housmans, London; City Books, Hove, Five Leaves Bookshop, Nottingham

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It features how the EU is holding the UK to account over air pollution, my efforts to save UK citizens’ EHIC cards after Brexit, the work being done in Parliament to encourage Sajid Javid to protect EU citizens’ rights and much more….

Read the newsletter in full here.

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The UK’s Green MEPs – Jean Lambert, Keith Taylor and Molly Scott Cato – have written a letter to the Financial Times, urging the authorities to investigate the murder of the courageous journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. [1]

Read the letter below, or in the Financial Times here.

Like many across Europe who are fighting corruption, our thoughts are with the family and friends of Daphne Caruana Galizia at this heartbreaking time. In a landscape increasingly defined by unquestioning mainstream media, hyper-partisan reportage and fake news, Daphne was that rarest and most vital of journalists: a fearless watchdog, holding to account the powerful and corrupt.

The detailed investigative work on the Panama Papers she and her colleagues undertook was crucial for uncovering the murky reality of corruption in Malta. There were also links to the British Virgin Islands and thus to the UK’s position at the heart of a global network of tax havens that facilitate tax avoidance and crime. It was thanks to the Panama Papers exposé that the European Parliament was able to secure an EU-wide inquiry into tax avoidance and financial secrecy.

Violence against journalists is deeply concerning. We join the European Parliament’s Committee of Inquiry into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion in urging the authorities to investigate this barbaric attack swiftly and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Jean Lambert, Keith Taylor and Molly Scott Cato

The UK’s Green MEPs

[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41637730

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In post-EU referendum Britain we need to stand together for animal welfare more than ever, say the UK’s Green MEPs in their latest animal protection newsletter ‘Making Tracks‘.

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Making_Tracks_Spring_2016

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The 2015 Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought has been awarded to Saudi Arabian online activist Raif Badawi. Jean nominated Raif Badawi for this year’s prize after receiving many requests from London constituents to do so. Her colleagues in the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament also nominated him for the prize.

The decision was taken in today’s Conference of Presidents of the political groups in the European Parliament, based on a shortlist of 3 nominations. Welcoming the decision Jean Lambert stated:

“In awarding Raif Badawi this year’s Sakharov Prize, the European Parliament is giving deserved recognition to his role in pushing greater public debate in Saudi Arabia. We would urge the Saudi authorities to take heed of the vote. The Greens/EFA group nominated Raif Badawi for this year’s prize both to recognise his important role as an advocate of freedom of expression but also to put the spotlight on the poor human rights record of Saudi Arabia and help move the regime to release Raif Badawi and all other imprisoned activists. With reports that Badawi is set to endure renewed flogging, I would really hope that this signal of support from the EU will encourage the Saudi authorities to think again.”

Jean Lambert also added:

“The Sakharov Prize reminds us that there are many parts of the world where people suffer because they have dared to pursue the right to freedom of expression. The prize is not only to acknowledge individual courage but to remind us of the many who long for such freedom. The EU prides itself on its commitment to the promotion of human rights: geopolitical interests and trade policy should not cloud that commitment. Raif Badawi’s suffering is a powerful reminder of this responsibility.”

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UK Green MEPs – Jean Lambert, Molly Scott Cato, Keith Taylor press for ambitious proposals to reduce resource use and create green jobs in a circular economy

Building a circular economy for the European Union is both necessary and overdue. A circular economy will re-align economic activity with environmental limits. In particular, economic activity must no longer be linked to resource consumption. For these reasons, the UK’s 3 Green MEPs have submitted a response to the European Commission’s Public Consultation on the Circular Economy. The consultation closes today but you can read the main section of the MEPs submission here

 
Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London said:

‘The EU’s circular economy plans could create millions of jobs and cut costs for business whilst reducing waste and pollution. We are used to hearing about cuts and efficiency savings, but for once these are the right cuts and the right efficiency savings. These EU plans could mean less waste and more re-use. We could see products being designed to work better, last longer and be easier to repair, and an end to the use of toxic materials. It’s called a circular economy because we are talking about turning yesterday’s waste into tomorrow’s valuable resources.

 
‘But for this to work, the EU plans must include binding targets to reduce commercial, industrial and food waste, and to recycle more, especially packaging. Crucially, we also need to measure and increase resource efficiency. Along with fellow Green MEPs I am responding to the Commission consultation to press for an ambitious proposal which will reduce our use of resources and create the green jobs and skills we urgently need.’

This fundamental shift in economic thinking and policy is essential for the long-term prosperity and success of the EU. The Commission needs to make sure that the beneficial potential of the circular economy model is fully realised. This is necessary so that the EU economy becomes resource-efficient, environmentally sustainable, and delivers the huge potential for green jobs and skills.
Moving to a circular economy will only be achievable with far-reaching legislation and legally binding targets. This should include specific waste reduction and resource efficiency targets, and an explicit commitment to becoming a zero waste EU.

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pdf Making_Tracks_Summer_2015 (1)

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The Guardian published a letter today from the 3 Green MEPs on the postponed TTIP vote in plenary session, Strasbourg this week.  You can read it on The Guardian’s website here

MEPs were to vote on the controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) on Wednesday but it was postponed at the last minute. More than 200 amendments to the report were proposed, and for this reason Martin Schulz, president of the European parliament, called for it to be sent back to the trade committee for further consideration. Undoubtedly the huge public opposition to TTIP was a major influence on the decision.

Greens have long opposed this trade deal as little more than a corporate power grab and certainly not in the public interest. The volume of amendments put forward is an indication of the passion this deal has aroused, the political divisions it has opened up, and the degree of public opposition.

Of particular concern is the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism, potentially allowing corporations to sue governments over any legislation or actions that threaten their profits. We do not believe corporations should have the right to challenge democratic decisions taken in the public interest which serve to safeguard our health, environment, social and labour standards. This is why Greens tabled an amendment calling explicitly for the exclusion of ISDS from TTIP.

A postponement on the opportunity to vote on this critical issue, of such concern to so many people, will not dampen our resolve to safeguard democratic decision-making and hard-fought-for standards.
Jean Lambert MEP
Molly Scott Cato MEP
Keith Taylor MEP
Green party

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Today, a vote should have taken place in Strasbourg on the EP’s position on TTIP, including the issue of ISDS. Although Parliament’s resolution on the Commission position is not crucial at this stage, it was considered an indicative vote for the project’s success.

Greens have consistently raised the alarm over the EU-US TTIP negotiations, which reflect undue corporate influence, despite claims to the contrary.

Many campaigners, such as War on Want and Global Justice Now, and others from across the EU, were in Strasbourg for today’s vote. However, at the 11^th hour, late on Tuesday afternoon, Parliament’s President took the decision to postpone the vote on the basis of article 175 of the Rules of Procedure. He claimed that that the procedure was triggered due to the number of amendments, over 200, but this is not an automatic process – the President has discretion.

Given the divisions in his own political Group (S&D) on the subject of ISDS in particular, this looked like a way to buy time.

To compound the problem, this morning the Parliament decided by 183 votes in favour, 181 against, and 37 abstentions to postpone the debate as well – so we are not even talking about TTIP today.

Jean commented: ‘I am really shocked. I have been in this Parliament for years and cannot remember such a thing happening before, although it might have been tried. Greens voted to maintain the debate – the Tories, amongst others, voted to postpone it.

‘Are the Commission and national governments running scared, finally aware of the depth of feeling over this proposed Treaty? After all, there are now over 2 million signatures collected by a European Citizen’s Initiative which is heavily critical.’

Jean concluded:

‘Unable to ignore serious internal division in and between the larger political groups, the grand coalition is running scared. Denying us the right to raise the legitimate concerns of the electorate is a power game by the centre-right and it will only bolster the resolve of those opposed.

‘EU citizens and civil society, as well as small and medium-sized businesses, are increasingly aware of what’s at risk with this proposed Treaty: hard -fought-for standards. Postponing the debate was something that passed by 3 votes: that’s how much opposition to the EU-US negotiations has grown in the European Parliament. This is due to growing public pressure. The momentum on TTIP is clearly shifting – we need to keep the pressure up, if anything we have been given more time to raise awareness and apply pressure even further.’

A new date for the vote and debate has not been set.

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