Back

Euromed foreign ministers neglect Mediterranean environment and citizens

Euromed Foreign Ministers' meeting in Tampere fails to integrate sustainable development into initiatives for 2007

Tampere/Brussels, November 28 2006 - Friends of the Earth Europe criticised Euromediterranean Foreign Ministers today for not embedding sustainable development and environmental protection into the specific initiatives that the Euromed partnership will take in 2007. The Foreign Ministers gave the green light for further negotiations to liberalise trade in the Mediterranean, without any consideration of sustainability impact assessments that predict adverse environmental and social impacts for the region. [1]

Eugene Clancy, Mediterranean Programme (MedNet) co-ordinator at Friends of the Earth Europe said: "Foreign Ministers in Tampere failed to recognize that the quality of the environment in the Mediterranean is closely linked with the livelihoods of its people and their opportunities for development. Ministers are pushing ahead with trade liberalization in the Mediterranean without stopping to consider that it could cause greater pressure on water resources, reduced soil fertility and increased air and coastal pollution." [2]

In addition, the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) is expected to give financial support to important initiatives in the Region, but there is no clear provision for environmental work.

"There is a clear need to earmark a sufficient level of EU funding specifically to address severe environmental problems in the Mediterranean region, like desertification and air pollution and waste mountains produced by rapid urbanization," Mr Clancy said.

Friends of the Earth Europe has also expressed concern that the programme for upcoming initiatives - the European Neighbourhood Policy
(ENP) - does not allow sufficient civil society participation.

***
For more information, please contact:
Eugene Clancy, Mediterranean Programme co-ordinator at Friends of the Earth Europe: Tel: +34 965 652 932 or +34 647 089778; Email: mednet@foeeurope.org

Rosemary Hall, Communications Officer at Friends of the Earth Europe:
Tel:+32 25 42 61 05, Mobile: +32 485 930515, Email: rosemary.hall@foeeurope.org

NOTES:

[1 http://www.eu2006.fi/news_and_documents/other_documents/vko48/en_GB/1164716098351/

[2] www.sia-trade.org/emfta and http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2006/FH_24_June_euromed.htm

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.

Home