Greenwash and lies - lobbying unacceptable

News from Europe
use of safe recycled plastics in food packagingThe European Commission has adopted a new regulation to ensure safety of food packaging made of recycled plastics. This new action sets the conditions under which the manufacturers of food contact materials can use recycled plastics.

Write to your MEP about lobbying..corporate self interest is so blatant that there is a need for this to be regulated and people must be aware what is going on!

EU lobbying transparency a step closer but still some way to go
On 25 March 2008, the transparency group Alter-EU has accused the Commission of relying too heavily on business and industry lobbyists when drawing up EU legislation. In reaction, the Commission has said it will publish a list of individual experts who sit on its advisory groups by the summer. But, a European Parliament committee would like the EU to go further and called for a mandatory register of the estimated 15-20,000 lobbyists.
http://www.epha.org/a/2976

Expert Group on ‘Coal combustion, clean and efficient coal technologies, CO2 capture’

The Commission should not be party to a pact with companies in the policy-making arena where corporate self-interest is so obvious. These are companies with a clear profit motivewhen it comes to defining the concept of ‘clean coal’and how it can be developed. This isa hugely controversial environmental and social issue. A truly objective and indeed allroundeffective Expert Group should comprise of a large portion of independent scientists,research institutions, national administrations and environmental groups. These actors,with companies fromthe sector would bemore likely to assess the real capabilities andlimits of the ‘clean coal alternative’as ameans of addressing global warming.The current composition of this Expert Group is not acceptable. The Commission shoulddissolve it and form a new one. The onus is on the Commission to informthe publicabout the role played by this group so far.70
[9]ECCP working group on the integrated approach to reduce CO2 fromlight duty vehicles
All info availlable at:http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/eccp_2/library?l=/light-duty_vehicles/

11]corporate controlled no (commission,member states, ACEA, KAMA, JAMA)Super-visory group of the voluntary commitments of car manufacturers to reduce CO2emissions

[23]coporate controlled Alternative fuels Based on the findings of this study the authorsmake the following recommendations to the European Commission.The European Commission ought to reform the mechanisms by which it accesses expertise. It should ensure such mechanisms are both transparent and operate fairly.For the latter to be the case, different points of viewmust be balanced against oneanother where impartial scientific advice is sought in an atmosphere immune fromcorporate capture. Taking the following steps in relation to the Expert Groups would bea long overduemove in this direction:
1.Disclosure of Expert Groupmembership and key documents;2.Full transparency around the launch of new Expert Groups;3.Open and fair processes around the application for and selection ofmembership;4.Strong safeguards against privileged access and unbalanced composition of these groups;5.Dissolution of all Expert Groups controlled by industry (or any other special interests);6.A broad review on the composition of all Expert Groups by the Commission’sSecretariat General

Local councils advised to 'burn ' rubbish!!!

Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) fails to take the iniatative letting Wales down with their reaction to WAG's announcements of 70% recycling targets for 2025. Their recommendation to LAs is.... (you've guessed it!) "Energy from Waste", i.e. in all probability incinerators. Taking the least environmentally friendly option!

Let’s Recycle 23.10.07

The Welsh Assembly Government has asked local authorities in the Principality to consider increasing their recycling/composting rate to 70% by 2025.

Doing nothing beyond the current 40% recycling aim by 2010 is not an option because beyond that date the EU targets are set higher with the threat of fines if we do not meet them

Jane Davidson, Welsh Assembly Government

But council chiefs have reacted with scepticism and said the target would be "massively challenging" and "heroically ambitious", especially without massive investment.

Jane Davidson, the minister for environment, sustainability and housing, proposed the new rate at a meeting with council leaders and chief executives, last week. She said Wales had to "look at a harder focus" for targets in the future to combat climate change, reduce reliance on unsustainable landfill and meet EU targets for reducing biodegradable waste to landfill and boosting recycling.

Ms Davidson added: "Doing nothing beyond the current 40% recycling aim by 2010 is not an option because beyond that date the EU targets are set higher with the threat of fines if we do not meet them," she added.

The proposal would see the recycling rate rising from 40% in 2009-10 to 52% in 2012-13 to 58% in 2015-16, to 64% in 2019-20, and to 70% by 2024-25.

Wales hit a recycling/composting rate of 27.6% for 2006/07, beating its target of 25%. The Welsh Assembly announced a recycling funding injection of £14 million earlier this month, which also included setting up Wales's first plastic recycling unit (see letsrecycle.com story).

However, local authorities have reacted with caution to the minister's proposal to boost the recycling rate to 70%. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) chief executive Steve Thomas said: "We have to be realistic about what is achievable. The 70% target outlined by the Minister for 2025 is massively challenging for local authorities, even heroically ambitious.

He added: "If targets are to be the way forward then firstly the Assembly Government must look at whether it has the powers itself to bring about the massive cultural shift in consumer and producer behaviour that is needed and secondly whether commensurate levels of waste funding are available." The Association, which represents the country's 22 councils was also concerned about how funding could be provided to help local authorities meet the target.

Related links

· Welsh Assembly

· Welsh Local Government Association

Mr Thomas explained: "Whatever option we choose will require massive and increased investment. A recent report highlighted that an additional £86m was needed for local authorities to meet the 2010 diversion targets. Yet based on last week's Comprehensive Spending Review local government will only see a 0.8% real terms growth increase for waste management next year and 2% the following year."

He added that councils would be meeting with the Assembly Government to discuss all the options and that they were looking at energy-from-waste as "potential solution" to the waste problem.