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Kroes aid reform is chance to end coal and nuclear subsidies
(Brussels, 7 June 2005) Responding to the European Commission's State Aid
Action Plan, launched today, Friends of the Earth Europe campaigner, Mark
Johnston, said:
"This is a welcome opportunity to ensure that subsides are shifted away from
dinosaur industries like coal and nuclear power and towards innovative
renewable energy technologies and sustainable jobs. European governments
have for too long used taxpayer's cash to artificially lower the costs of
dirty and damaging energy options compared to clean and renewable
alternatives.[1] Better-targeted aid is a key aspect of the review; we call
on Mrs Kroes to ensure this is exactly what happens."
Contacts:
Mark Johnston: +32 2 542 6101
Jan Kowalzig: +32 2 542 6102
Notes:
[1] For example, according to the European Environment Agency, Technical
Report 2004/1, EU governments currently provide almost four times as much
subsides to fossil fuels compared to renewables (Euro 21.7bn and Euro 5.3bn
respectively).
Friends of the Earth Europe campaigns for sustainable and fair societies and for the protection of the environment,
unites more than 30 national organisations with thousands of local groups
and is part of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International.
