Eastern MEPs to back tight environmental rules 

A survey carried out by Friends of the Earth reveals that politicians from the ten new EU countries are favourable to strict environmental legislation in the European Parliament.

The survey gathered answers from 42 parties expected to secure approximately 104 of the 162 seats from the new Member States in the Parliament. Contrary to the general expectation, politicians in these countries showed support for strict environmental legislation being passed in the Parliament due to emerge from the 10-13 June elections.

However, the answers varied according to the topics covered. For instance, politicians from the nuclear power countries said they would continue supporting this type of energy when others were in favour of renewables. Transport and GMOs were the other two topics where FoE was disappointed, with the majority of respondents supporting "the unsatisfactory present policy".

But for the remaining six (agriculture, chemicals, climate, consumption of resources, trade and corporate accountability), the Green NGO is clearly optimistic. "European politicians from the new Member States are often seen as people who are more interested in economic growth rather than ethic and environment. But our survey draws a picture of European Parliamentarians from the new Member States working for a tightening of environmental standards," says Henning Bo Madsen from NOAH/Friends of the Earth Denmark, the lead organisation in the survey.