Press Release
20th August 2003

GREEN 8 issue proposals for the Intergovernmental Conference to green the European Constitution


(Brussels, August 20) - The eight leading European environmental organisations have jointly issued their proposals to improve the draft European Constitution, and called on the Commission and Parliament to take on board the changes and include them in the next round of discussions.
The detailed proposals and amendments are set out in a new publication from the Green Eight, entitled "Towards a Green Constitution – Greening the European Convention Proposal”, published this week, and issued in advance of the Commission and Parliament’s preparations for their own communications
on the draft Constitution.

The Green Eight’s paper presents straightforward, realistic and concrete suggestions for amendments to the text of the draft Constitution as finalised by the European Convention in June, and is being issued because the Green Eight do not believe that the Convention’s draft is sufficient to allow the EU to
develop in a sustainable way.

“Improvements to the draft Constitution are necessary so that the European Union can deliver sustainable development, both inside and outside the EU, “ said Tony Long, Director of the WWF European Policy Office, speaking on behalf of the Green Eight.
“The biggest weakness exists in the policy chapters. Many of the policy chapters were drawn from the existing European Community Treaty without being updated. As they stand, they are outdated and make EU policies like agriculture, transport, energy and development conflict with the EU’s overall
objectives of sustainable development and improvement of the environment.”

Besides the changes in specific policy areas, the Green Eight are also calling on the Commission and the Parliament to make the following improvements:
- More precise language on participatory democracy (particularly on public participation and access to justice) as well as clarification of the inclusion of the Conciliation Committee in the transparency requirements;
- Inclusion of the right to a clean and safe environment in the Charter of Fundamental Rights
- Abolition of the Euratom Treaty.

The Green Eight support Commissioner Wallstrom’s initiative for a Protocol on Sustainable Development to be added, but have suggested some amendments to her draft, included in the new Green 8 publication.

The publication can be donwloaded here:
"Towards a Green Constitution – Greening the European Convention Proposal”
or ordered from the EEB (tel: +32 2 289 1090; email: eeb@eeb.org).

For further press information, contact:
Tony Long tel: +32 2 743 8805 from WWF on behalf of the Green 8

Notes for the editor:

(1) The member organisations of the Green-8 are: BirdLife International, Climate Action Network Europe, European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Friends of Nature International, European Federation for Transport and Environment (T & E), Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE), Greenpeace and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

(2) Contact details for the organisations:
BirdLife International European Community Office
tel. +32 2 280 08 30; fax +32 2 230 38 02;
email: bleco@birdlifeeco.net ; also see www.birdlife.org

Climate Action Network Europe
tel: +32 2 229 5224/5220; fax: +32 2 229 5229;
email: info@climnet.org ; also see www.climnet.org

European Environmental Bureau,
tel: +32 2 289 1090; fax +32 2 289 1099;
email: eeb@eeb.org ; also see www.eeb.org

European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E),
tel: +32 2 502 99 09; fax: +32 2 502 9908;
email: info@t-e.nu ; also see www.t-e.nu

Friends of the Earth Europe,
tel.: +32 2 542 0180; fax: +32 2 537 5596;
email: info@foeeurope.org ; also see www.foeeurope.org

Friends of Nature International,
tel: +43 1 892 38 77; fax: + 43 1 812 97 89;
email: nfi@nfi.at ; also see www.nfi.at

Greenpeace European Unit,
T el: +32 2 274 1900; fax: +32 2 274 1910;
email: european.unit@diala.greenpeace.org ; also see http://eu.greenpeace.org

WWF European Policy Office,
tel: +32 2 743 8806; fax: +32 2 743 8819;
email: wwfepo@wwfepo.org; also see www.panda.org/epo