Greening the EU

In this provocative report, published on the eve of the European Parliament elections that will shape the future of all the EU institutions, Alex Warleigh-Lack argues ‘no’ to the first, and ‘yes’ to the second. After surveying the EU’s current green credentials and finding them in many ways wanting, Alex sets out a ‘greenprint’ for the EU based on ecological principles. The Report concludes by suggesting five priorities for Green politicians at EU-level after the 2014 elections.

What the EU does matters: it shapes the lives of over half a billion citizens in its 28 member states. In some areas of policy like agriculture, the environment, and the single market, it has more power than its individual member states – even if it is also true that in some important areas like tax, or security, the EU has far less power than its member states. If we want to green our societies and economies, then, we need to include in our plans ideas about how to green the EU.

In this report Warleigh-Lack puts forward some suggestions for greening the EU, to launch a debate about how this crucial aspect of how we are governed can be made a more helpful part of the transition to a sustainable way of life. The first section of the report explores in more depth the reasons why it is necessary to ‘green’ the EU, evaluating its performance to date when set against key criteria in green political thought. Warleigh-Lack then uses these criteria to suggest reforms that the EU could undertake in order to green itself, before scenario-building to show how something akin to the suggested system could materialise. The report closes with suggested priorities for Green politicians in the EU’s next cycle, from 2014-19.