The Melting Iceberg

(?)
We have 3 questions for you
DAN JORGENSEN

All sectors of production need change structures and management in a sustainable way, but agriculture has to make a real effort in order not to use pollutant substances. Is it already possible nowadays?

Agricultural production in Europe is - as most sectors - not yet sustainable. We need binding targets for the reduction of green house gas emissions from the agricultural sector, and we need a reduction of the use of dangerous chemical in our food production. And both aims are possible nowadays. European farmers simply have to compete globally on the high quality of the food production and not by compromising on environmental or animal welfare aspects.

One of the major problems with the EU environmental policy is that it is not being implemented uniformly in the individual countries. Do you think than we have a right level in protection of the environment through criminal law in Europe?

The European environmental legislation is not sufficiently implemented. And unfortunately we see large differences across member states. In some member states business is not really punished for breaching EU environmental law. But I hope we have now solved the problem. This year the Socialists - and I as the rapportuer for the environment committee - worked hard to secure the adoption of a new framework for the protection of environment through criminal law.
This means that from now on serious environmental offenses will be prosecuted as a criminal offense - all over Europe.

Give us a super – idea to save the Planet.

You can do something every day by saving energy whenever you can. But politicians are responsible to deliver the framework and not everybody is willing to vote for change. We need to change our way of production and only the Socialists have had the courage to say that reduction of CO2 is not contrary to job creation and growth. The best idea is probably to vote for the European Socialists :-)