*[Enwl-eng] voice at the negotiating table
ENWLine
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Negotiations on a European recovery plan to address the economic tragedy of COVID-19 are happening right now. But polluting industries are elbowing their way to the front of the queue to get economic support - at the expense of people and the planet. |
Hi,
A quarter of jobs in the EU are at risk, and nearly a million jobs have been lost just in Spain due to the pandemic. [1] This is only a hint of the tragedy still to come - already here for so many of us unable to afford basics such as accommodation. [2]
As the European Commission puts together a recovery plan, polluting industries (like airlines and coal-burning power plants) are elbowing their way to the front of the queue to get support - thanks to their enormous lobbying power. They want the biggest piece of the pie… and to use this crisis to weaken environmental standards. [3]
This recovery plan is being negotiated right now. Let’s make it clear it must prioritise the tragedies of people before those of airlines, car, plastic, and other polluting industries. The economic recovery cannot be at the expense of more pollution: pollution makes coronavirus deadlier. [4]
We are part of a large coalition working on getting the message to politicians in different ways before the key EU meeting on Wednesday. But for this movement to have an impact, it needs to have thousands of Europeans standing behind it. That's us!
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The Marshall Plan-like scheme [5] to face the economic crisis cannot replicate the mistakes of the bailouts following the 2008 financial crisis: banks and corporations shouldn’t be saved at the expense of workers, people and the planet.
This time it's different.
Just before coronavirus hit the world, the European Commission was in the midst of putting together a European Green Deal: a package of measures to guide Europe’s transition into a just and green economy.
The current economic downturn that will soon deepen demonstrates the profound need for such a package. In fact, 17 EU countries including Spain, Germany, France, Italy, and Portugal are already pushing the Commission to base the recovery plan on the Green Deal! [6] But this master plan needs to be not only fully executed, but also boosted and expanded.
If we don’t take action the Commission will only hear from polluting industries in the battle between EU governments on whether to keep the Green Deal or not. They need to hear from citizens too: the Green Deal is the starting point, but it’s far from enough.
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What you do after reading this email matters. This is what we've been taught by experienced organisations like Greenpeace and many others. It was them that knocked at the door of our community because, in these critical times, it’s the voices of citizens that are missing from what is probably the most crucial plan of our lives. Make the voice of people present in the recovery plan negotiations: take action now!
With hope,
David, Virginia (Madrid), and the entire WeMove team
PS. Research shows that there is a link between the emergence of new viruses and the environmental emergency. This is our opportunity to tackle multiple crises at once: the health, the economic, and climate crises. Add your voice to the call for the biggest green and social recovery programme Europe has ever seen!
References:
[1]
http://www.aquieuropa.com/noticia/67812-la-pandemia-del-covid-19-amenaza-al-25-de-los-trabajos-en-europa
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/spain-coronavirus-lockdown-unemployment-job-loss-update-a9442146.html
[2]
https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20200328/coronavirus-inquilinos-no-pueden-pagar-alquiler/2010961.shtml
[3]
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/17/coronavirus-profiteers-condemned-as-polluters-gain-bailout-billions
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/31/bailouts-coronavirus-state-aid
[4]
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/21/preliminary-study-links-air-pollution-to-coronavirus-deaths-in-england
[5]
The Marshall Plan, also known as the European Recovery Program, was a program
providing economic aid to Western Europe following the devastation of World War
II.
[6]
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/04/09/european-green-deal-must-central-resilient-recovery-covid-19/
WeMove.EU is a citizens’ movement, campaigning for a better Europe; for a European Union committed to social and economic justice, environmental sustainability and citizen-led democracy. We are people from all walks of life, who call Europe our home whether we were born in Europe or elsewhere.
WeMove.EU is funded by donations from our community across Europe. Can you chip in with a few euros a month and help make sure we can move fast to win the campaigns that matter to all of us? Donate
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