Greens’ concern over constitution

Date: 20/02/03

By Karen Carstens

ENVIRONMENTALISTS are concerned the term "sustainable development" could disappear from the EU treaty - if the Convention on Europe's future does not mend its ecologically wayward ways.

Nine environmental groups have sent an open letter to the 105-strong Convention, urging it to rethink the wording of proposed provisions in the future constitution.

The organisations - Birdlife International, Climate Action Network Europe, European Environmental Bureau, Friends of Nature International, European Federation for Transport and Environment, Friends of the Earth Europe, Greenpeace, Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development and World Wide Fund for Nature - have attached two suggested amendments to the draft clauses.

"Article 3 of the praesidium's proposal is substantially weaker on defining what sustainable development means in terms of the environment, than the existing article 2 of the EC Treaty," the letter cautions.

The groups are also worried about the praesidium's decision to delete Article 6 of the current treaty, which obliges the EU to integrate environmental protection requirements into all its policies.

"Environmental concerns and sustainable development are unchangingly high on the agenda of European citizens," the nine write.

"Weakening the role of the EU in the way the praesidium has (we assume unintentionally) would be difficult to defend to the public at large."

The praesidium published draft proposals for the first 16 articles on 6 February, and gave Convention members until 17 February to present their amendments.

Environmentalists are concerned the term 'sustainable development' could disappear from the EU treaty. Nine environmental groups have sent an open letter to the Convention on Europe's future, urging it to rethink the wording of proposed provisions in the future constitution.