Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-02-15-Speech-2-299"
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"en.20000215.12.2-299"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, I am probably going to repeat things my fellow Members have said but I believe that, as far as the Council is concerned, the thing is to repeat over and over what we think of LIFE. I shall therefore reiterate that, as the rapporteur has already said quite clearly, LIFE is the only specific financial instrument for the implementation of the European Union’s policy on the environment.
This instrument is absolutely essential since it provides the impetus for truly innovative actions in favour of nature and the environment in Europe, which are adopted and expanded upon by the Member States. This financial instrument is, furthermore, deliberately democratic since it is accessible to both governmental and non-governmental organisations. That is why, ladies and gentlemen, I would urge you not to vote in favour of the amendments which have no appreciation of the spirit of LIFE.
Through the associations, then, LIFE is a facility that can be used by the European citizen directly, and for the benefit of actions in the interest of the community. Several million NGO members – millions, I say – recognise in LIFE the Union’s determination to build up an ambitious policy in favour of our natural heritage. LIFE is, moreover, the fundamental instrument of the Natura 2000 network in Europe into which the Member States have put a lot, pursuant to Community directives on the habitats of rare and endangered fauna and flora and on migratory birds, and which makes it possible to set up the protection of sites of high biological value in our States.
I should like to say that those who run down this policy in their own States bear the responsibility for obstructing European nature conservation policies. This is a pity because everyone within this Chamber knows that LIFE is a financial instrument which is not sufficient to carry out the projects submitted by Member States, a good many of which are turned down due to lack of funds.
Let us not forget that, to date, LIFE amounts to only EUR 100 million per annum, i.e. scarcely 0.1% of the budget of the European Union. For the record, the budget for agriculture, which has a real impact on the environment, amounts, as we all know, to EUR 37 billion.
Against this background, my group thinks it essential to increase the allocation to LIFE and unreservedly supports Mrs Lienemann’s proposal to increase the budget to EUR 850 million, since we know, and I think it bears saying, how high the expectations of our fellow citizens on environmental matters are and how excessively cautious and unacceptable the Council’s compromise regarding the budget for LIFE is, especially as the LIFE programmes show exceptional implementation rates and have demonstrated the extent to which they made it possible to bring about new environmental practice. The first sustainable development projects are unquestionably those."@en1
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