FoE Europe - Events



2007


ACTION 8 December 2007 Europe			Global Day of Action on Climate Change Many Friends of the Earth groups across Europe were involved in organizing events in their countries. Thousands of people joined big demonstrations and organized concerts and several actions. In Germany Vandana Shiva called on people "Stop the game, start solving the problem" and the March of the Homeless Penguins showed the urgency. In Finland angry skiers went to the street and demanded a stop on climate change and the return of snowy winters: "Snow damn it!". And in Belgium thousands of demonstrators were asked if they thought politicians were doing enough about climate change- the answer was an overwhelming "NO!". If you want to know what happened in other countries, please click on "read more" below: Read more

PUBLIC DEBATE AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 5 December 2007 Brussels			Environmental and social impacts of the extractive industry sector in the Caspian area - The case of Kashagan oil field development. First of a series of Public Debates organised by Friends of the Earth Europe under the framework of the Extractive Industries - Blessing or Curse? Campaign. The Debate's goal was to stimulate a discussion on EU strategic energy interests and Corporate Social Responsibility of European multinationals operating in the extractive industry sector outside of Europe. Furthermore, it also aimed to promote the dialogue between civil society, politics and industry on the impacts and responsibilities of the extractive industries. It focused on the Agip KCO performance as the main operator of the Kashagan oil field development towards civil society and its environmental, social and human rights record in Kazakhstan. Read more

CEREMONY AWARDS Worst EU Lobby Awards 4 December 2007 Brussels			BMW, Daimler and Porsche are the bigger winner of the "Worst EU Lobbying Award" while German Atomic Forum receives prize for "Worst EU Greenwash" The award ceremony took place in Brussels and was an immense success: very entertaining, more attendees and a larger media presence/coverage than ever before. It featured short speeches on the problems around lobbying in Brussels, comedy and great music from the band Afota. Followed by the announcement of the winners based on the online voting of more than 6000 people across Europe. The big winners were the German Atomic Forum who won the Worst EU Greenwash award for their campaign abusing the public's concern about climate change in order to promote nuclear energy. In the Worst EU Lobby category, the German car corporations BMW, Daimler and Porsche together won with 32% of the vote for their misleading and scaremongering campaign against CO2 reduction targets. Unfortunately (and expected!) none of the winners wanted to come to collect the awards, although we had invited them and offered them the opportunity to present their view. Luckily our master of ceremonies Frank van Schaik had visited the nominees the day before to congratulate them with their nomination. To view video clips of these surprise visits and more information on the evening please click on "read more" below and the website. Read more

ACTION MPs support aviation fuel tax 30 November 2007 Brussels			Politicians travel by train to Belgium to sign international declaration Friends of the Earth Europe today brought together Members of Parliament (MPs) from Belgium, Germany, France, the UK and the Netherlands, who declared their commitment to introducing aviation fuel tax on flights between north-western European countries. Politicians caught a Thalys train from Schipol to Antwerp, where they took part in a ceremonial signing of the declaration. At Schiphol train station, Dutch MPs Paul Tang (PvdA - Social Democrats), Emile Roemer (SP - Socialists), Green Party chairman Henk Nijhof and Belgian MP Tinne van der Straeten and MEP Bart Staes (Groen) boarded the Thalys. In Antwerp the parliamentarians were joined by Belgian MP Bart Martens (SP.a). They were welcomed on board by the "Non-Flying Dutchman", the central character in the FoE Netherlands campaign that challenges the normality of flying. The name 'Non-Flying Dutchman' is wordplay on a Dutch legend of a ghost ship called "the Flying Dutchman' that can never go home, and is doomed to sail the oceans forever. Read more

WASTE SEMINAR AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 27 November 2007 Brussels			"Don't Waste Your Climate" Seminar on the Waste Framework Directive Friends of the Earth Europe organised an MEP seminar on the EU Waste Framework Directive in the European Parliament, Brussels. Over 50 participants attended, including Council, Commission and Member State officials. The event launched initial findings of new research into the potential of CO2 emission savings of recycling and prevention targets. Five case studies were then presented to show that recycling rates can increase rapidly. European Parliament Rapporteur of the Directive, Caroline Jackson, confirmed her commitment to defend Parliament's first reading demands for EU wide recycling targets. Read more

PALM OIL ACTION 9 October 2007 Brussels			Friends of the Earth groups call on RSPO to stop destructive palm oil Brussels, 9 October 2007 - Green campaigners warned today that proposals for certifying palm oil as sustainable are flawed. As the Round Table for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) presented proposals to label sustainable palm oil, Friends of the Earth groups staged an installation of screaming tree stumps outside the meeting in Brussels, representing the current environmental violations caused by producing palm oil. Paul de Clerck, of Friends of the Earth Europe said: "The Round Table for Sustainable Palm Oil's plan to prevent destruction in producer countries is flawed, and is particularly bound for failure if the EU demand for palm oil as an energy and transport fuel continues to grow." Accepting a mini-banner from Mr de Clerck, RSPO Chairman Jan Kees Vis thanked him and said that he fully shared Friends of the Earth's concerns about biomass and using palm oil for energy. Read more

ALTER-EU TRANSPARENCY ACTION 8 October 2007 Brussels			MEPs urged not to bow to pressure from lobbyists Friends of the Earth Europe activists, together with other representatives of the ALTER-EU coalition, today decorated a tree in front of the European Parliament in a call for MEPs to improve rules on lobbying. Read more

PANEL DEBATE 5 October 2007 Geneva			FoEE brings climate battle to Geneva, WTO Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE), together with Greenpeace, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), the German Development Institute, the German NGO Forum on Environment and Development, Germanwatch and the International Forum on Globalization (IFG), has organised a panel debate at this year's WTO Public Forum in Geneva on the subject "Trade and Climate Change: Peril or Promise". The meeting was attended by more than 80 people, including key policy makers from UNCTAD, the WTO, UNEP and WTO delegations. The four speakers brought a critical voice to the free trade-minded Geneva bubble. They highlighted the existing and possible conflicts between the trade and climate agendas, the responsibility of trade policy-makers in the fight against climate change and the urgency of changing the WTO's mindset and set of rules. Read more

EU-KOREA FTA RALLY 17 September 2007 Brussels			Friends of the Earth Europe today joined Korean activists in Brussels to protest against the EU-Korea Trade Agreement Trade Campaigner Charly Poppe addressed members of the Korean Alliance Against US/EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and other activists at a rally timed to coincide with the third round of negotiations. Read more

GREEN WEEK PRESENTATION 15 June 2007 Brussels			Tree of green ideas presented to Dimas' Cabinet Brussels, June 15 - Today the Green 10 presented a "tree of ideas" to Commissioner Dimas' Cabinet, suggesting how the EU can increase its resource and energy efficiency and protect biodiversity. The ideas were contributed by citizens and policymakers attending the European Commission's Green Week. Read more

ACTION 5 June 2007 Brussels			Europe-wide protests against bank's funding for dangerous Belene nuclear plant In over 20 cities across Europe, protests by environmental groups intensified pressure on BNP Paribas to withdraw its funding of the controversial Belene Buglarian nuclear power plant. In Brussels, activists from Friends of the Earth Europe, Netwerk Vlaanderen, Reseau financement alternatif and Friends of the Earth Flanders and Brussels gathered outside the BNP Paribas office dressed in radiation suits, declaring the bank "radioactively contaminated" Read more

PRESS CONFERENCE 27 April 2007 Brussels			Green groups deliver critical mid-term review of Barroso Commission Ahead of the European Commission’s own performance assessment, environmental groups today issued a critical verdict on the Commission’s record in protecting and improving Europe’s environment during the first half of its term in office, and laid out a series of recommendations for its remaining two and a half years. Read more

ACTION 23 March 2007 Brussels			"Scrap Euratom!" demand Europeans Piebalgs welcomes gift boxes full of signatures on nuclear treaty's 50th birthday Ahead of the 50th anniversaries of the EU and its pro-nuclear Euratom Treaty, 780 organisations and 630,000 individuals have demanded abolition of Euratom and a phase-out of nuclear power across Europe. European Energy Commissioner Piebalgs received birthday presents packed with signatures today, and campaigners encouraged EU member states to consider the legally sound option of unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear treaty. Read more and see photos

ACTION 9 March 2007 Brussels			The Giant EU Energy Flag As pivotal debate about Europe's future energy policy took place at the EU Spring Council today, Friends of the Earth constructed a 12m-high bright blue and yellow flag right outside the meeting, demanding that governments stop climate change, cut energy waste and choose renewables. The flag followed the design of the famous EU flag, but contained symbols for sustainable energy choices in the golden stars and was formed by hundreds of people from across Europe, dressed in blue on a giant frame. Participants in the action came from fifteen European countries. A sea of banners at the base of the giant flag displayed the slogan "Stop Climate Change. Cut Energy Waste. Choose Renewables," in multiple languages. Individual stars in the installation - each 2m-high - were annotated with signatures, collected out on the streets across Europe in the last few weeks. Read more and see photos

ACTIONS February and March 2007 Europe			Stop climate change, Cut Energy Waste, Choose renewables Public actions are taking place across Europe in February and March 2007, calling for governments to stop climate change and choose clean, safe energy solutions based on renewables and energy efficiency. EU leaders will meet in Brussels on 8th-9th March to seal the fate of Europe's energy future. In the weeks running up to the Summit on 8th-9th March, Friends of the Earth groups across Europe have collected signatures on "Golden EU Energy Stars" that will be incorporated into a giant installation of a mock EU flag right outside the meeting. Read more and see photos

ACTIONS 2-20 February 2007 Finland, Sweden, Netherlands, Norway, Georgia			Snowmen action days Snowmen and snow-women in five European countries demanded swift action to fight climate change in the run up to and on the day of the EU Environment Ministers meeting in Brussels (20th February 2007). People built snowmen as poignant symbols of the victims of climate change, in 20 locations around Finland and in Gothenburg, Sweden (20th Feb); in the Netherlands (2nd Feb), Norway (16th Feb) and Georgia (16th Feb).

ACTION 12-14 February 2007 European Parliament, Strasbourg			Stop the waste: vote recycling not incineration! Brussels, 12-14 February 2007 - Friends of the Earth Europe and the European Environmental Bureau campaigned at the European Parliament in Strasbourg around an important vote about how the EU manages its waste. The two environmental NGOs positioned a 40m-long banner in full visibility of MEPs in the Parliament, saying "Stop the waste: vote recycling not incineration!" FoEE and EEB welcomed the outcome of the vote - MEPs supported European targets for recycling and waste prevention, which will help Europe's economy become more resource efficient, and reduce our impacts on climate change. Read more and see photos

Events 2008 Events 2006 Events 2005 Events 2004 Events 2003 Events 2002

Home | About us | Members | Campaigns | Events | Media | Publications | Links | Contact | Internal