Slovenian EU presidency failing to take EU driving seat

29 April 2008

With only two months of the Slovenian EU presidency left to go and a number of crucial environmental issues on the agenda, Greenpeace has warned that Slovenia must sharpen up its act if it wants to leave a lasting mark on the EU political scene.

The Slovenian presidency must take the EU�s driving seat and not sit back while bigger EU players steer decisions to their own advantage, said Nina Stros, Greenpeace policy coordinator based in Ljubljana.

Although one of the EU�s smaller member states and the first ever Eastern European country to hold the presidency, Slovenia has shown poor leadership in advancing the EU�s environmental ambition. In November 2007, Greenpeace launched the �Slovenian EU Presidency Watch� to monitor the environmental performance of Slovenia during its six-month EU presidency from January to June 2008.

Greenpeace will judge Slovenia on progress in the issues of legislation to reduce car emissions; climate targets and GMOs.

Greenpeace says the Slovenia must ensure that EU-wide negotiations are not hijacked by big car manufacturing countries, such as France and Germany, with a vested interest in weakening environmental requirements. Discussions must involve all member states at Council level and ensure a strong commitment to make cars more efficient by 2012.

On the climate targets, Greenpeace demands, after the disappointing outcome of the March European summit, from Slovenia to put Europe back on track to reach ambitious climate targets and reject protectionist pressures in favour of heavy industry. Slovenia must show climate leadership at the summer European Council in June and call for scientifically viable 30% emission cuts.

Slovenia must respond to the concerns of a majority of member states and expose the flaws of the EU�s GMO authorisation process and the inadequacy of the European Food Safety Authority. A wide-ranging debate on these issues must be held at the environment Council on 5 June, as suggested by France.