Ireland’s two Green Party MEPs have said that last week’s move by the European People’s Party (EPP) to reject the passing of proposed EU nature and pesticide laws could ultimately prevent the laws from passing.
MEPs Grace O’Sullivan and Ciarán Cuffe have “demanded” that Fine Gael’s MEPs, all of whom are members of the EPP group, back the biodiversity and climate laws making their way through the Parliament.
Last week, the EPP passed a resolution to “reject” the proposed nature restoration law and sustainable use of pesticide regulation.
These pieces of legislations have the respective aims of restoring EU biodiversity through actions which include farmland rewetting and halving farmers’ use of pesticide sprays.
The EPP is the largest MEP group in the European Parliament and holding 175 of the 705 seats, while Ireland’s Green MEPs are part of a group only 72 strong.
‘Irresponsible’
Green MEP for Dublin Ciarán Cuffe claims that helping the two environmental laws pass through the Parliament will help farmers and food supply into the future.
“Blocking progress on key measures needed to guarantee long-term food security and protect the livelihoods and well-being of millions of people across Europe is at best irresponsible,” Cuffe said.
“Any actions to block the very minimum levels of progress on these points flies in the face of the science and the very real threat of climate change and the degradation of our environment that affects us all.”
He stated that blocking the pesticide and rewetting legislation would move against the recent recommendation from the Citizens’ Assembly on biodiversity.
'U-turn' on climate policy
Grace O’Sullivan, MEP for Ireland South, accused some politicians of backpedaling.
“Politicians and MEPs should be held to account on the claims they made during the last elections with regard to their climate ambitions,” according to O’Sullivan.
“Now we are seeing what can only be described as a complete U-Turn on climate action.”
The MEP went on to point out that Ireland’s EU Commissioner Mairéad McGuinness, who is a member of Fine Gael and the EPP, defended the nature restoration law to the European Parliament.
Read more
MEP group rejects EU rewetting and pesticide plans
Looming Farm to Fork decisions will be key for Irish farmers
Agri MEPs reject tighter emissions rules for farmers
‘We have no international commitment to feed the world’ - Green MEP
Ireland’s two Green Party MEPs have said that last week’s move by the European People’s Party (EPP) to reject the passing of proposed EU nature and pesticide laws could ultimately prevent the laws from passing.
MEPs Grace O’Sullivan and Ciarán Cuffe have “demanded” that Fine Gael’s MEPs, all of whom are members of the EPP group, back the biodiversity and climate laws making their way through the Parliament.
Last week, the EPP passed a resolution to “reject” the proposed nature restoration law and sustainable use of pesticide regulation.
These pieces of legislations have the respective aims of restoring EU biodiversity through actions which include farmland rewetting and halving farmers’ use of pesticide sprays.
The EPP is the largest MEP group in the European Parliament and holding 175 of the 705 seats, while Ireland’s Green MEPs are part of a group only 72 strong.
‘Irresponsible’
Green MEP for Dublin Ciarán Cuffe claims that helping the two environmental laws pass through the Parliament will help farmers and food supply into the future.
“Blocking progress on key measures needed to guarantee long-term food security and protect the livelihoods and well-being of millions of people across Europe is at best irresponsible,” Cuffe said.
“Any actions to block the very minimum levels of progress on these points flies in the face of the science and the very real threat of climate change and the degradation of our environment that affects us all.”
He stated that blocking the pesticide and rewetting legislation would move against the recent recommendation from the Citizens’ Assembly on biodiversity.
'U-turn' on climate policy
Grace O’Sullivan, MEP for Ireland South, accused some politicians of backpedaling.
“Politicians and MEPs should be held to account on the claims they made during the last elections with regard to their climate ambitions,” according to O’Sullivan.
“Now we are seeing what can only be described as a complete U-Turn on climate action.”
The MEP went on to point out that Ireland’s EU Commissioner Mairéad McGuinness, who is a member of Fine Gael and the EPP, defended the nature restoration law to the European Parliament.
Read more
MEP group rejects EU rewetting and pesticide plans
Looming Farm to Fork decisions will be key for Irish farmers
Agri MEPs reject tighter emissions rules for farmers
‘We have no international commitment to feed the world’ - Green MEP
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