Major NGOs from the Green10 coalition are calling on political groups to put environmental protection and the well-being of people at the heart of their 2019 European Parliament election campaigns.

Today, the coalition publishes its own ‘manifesto’ containing a set of priorities it wants political groups, candidates, and EU leaders to promote as they gear up for their election campaigns.

The Green 10 is a coalition of ten of the largest environmental organisations in Europe, including the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), and represents tens of millions of citizens.

Next May, EU citizens will vote to elect over 700 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who will represent them for the next five years in Europe.

Because MEPs have a say in all EU legislative proposals, the elections carry the potential for a revitalised, more just and more democratic Union, according to the Green10.

From the fight against pollution and climate change to resource and biodiversity conservation, the group identified a set of priorities that candidates need to address throughout their campaign and beyond.

A Europe that puts the well-being of people and our planet first will also help address the challenges of migration, security and competitiveness, the group said. However, an EU migration and security strategy that ignores the risks posed by climate change will fail.

Jeremy Wates, Secretary General of the EEB, said:

“From extreme weather events to the migrant crisis and the rise of hate propaganda, Europe is facing a number of challenges that pose a direct threat to its citizens and democracy. 

With the 2019 European elections we have a chance to turn things around and present a new narrative – one that truly addresses these challenges and serves the interests of the many and not of the few.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Members of the Green10 are:  CEE Bankwatch Network, BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, CAN Europe, the European Environmental Bureau, Friends of the Earth Europe, Greenpeace European Unit, Health and Environment Alliance, Transport & Environment and WWF European Policy Office.

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