‘Profound reforms’ lie at heart of plan for greening of Europe

Date: 28/01/1999

By Gareth Harding

Inevitably for a party which grew out of the ecological protests of the 1960s, the Greens focus on cleaning up Europe's environment through various radical measures.

Aside from phasing out nuclear power and banning atomic weapons, they say the Union should sign up to a 50&percent; cut in carbon emissions by 2025 and introduce an EU energy tax to achieve this.

“The traditional parties have shown their inability to solve current economic problems,” say the Greens, who argue that instead of deregulation, re-regulation is needed. And instead of pandering to globalisation, the Union needs to take greater economic control Accusing the EU of being “deeply undemocratic”, the party's blueprint calls for “profound institutional reforms”. These should include giving more powers to the European Parliament and granting citizens greater rights.