JÁVORT Az EU-BA!

Támogasd Te is küzdelmünket a zöld és igazságos jövőért!

Category: Media

Biodiversity is too low on the political agenda

Posted on

Benedek Jávor’s article on Europe’s World:

Biodiversity is not high enough on the political agenda, despite the fact that trends recently reported are almost entirely negative. The European Environment Agency’s 2015 State of the Environment Report confirms that Europe’s natural capital is not yet being protected, conserved and enhanced in line with the ambitions of the 7th Environment Action Programme. Longer-term trends are especially alarming. Challenges such as the loss of soil functions, land degradation and climate change continue to threaten the ecosystem services that underpin economic activities and wellbeing.

On the global scale, we are experiencing an enormous loss of diversity with the ever-growing rate of species extinction. As the UN warns in its Global Biodiversity Outlook, several ecosystems are approaching a ‘tipping point’ and if current trends continue, we may see them never recover.

Europe is not on track to meet its overall target of halting biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystem services

As for Europe’s biodiversity, the State of the Nature report freshly launched by the European Commission stresses that it continues to be eroded due to cumulative pressures. Currently, a large proportion of protected species (60%) and habitat types (77%) in the EU are considered to be in unfavourable conservation status, and a significant share of previously unfavourable assessments have deteriorated further. The status of species and habitats depending on agricultural and forestry ecosystems are especially worrying.

The report also confirms that Europe is not on track to meet its overall target of halting biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystem services by 2020, even though some more specific targets are being met. Improvements are basically limited to local or regional level, and have not yet scaled up to European level.

I am nevertheless convinced that the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy and the two nature directives – the Birds and Habitats Directives – play a central role in the EU’s biodiversity and nature conservation policies; if implemented well and effectively, they provide a very useful framework and effective solutions for biodiversity and nature protection.

The European Commission is currently working on an in-depth evaluation of the nature directives with a possibility to review or even revise them in 2016  – the former mainly resulting in changes to the annexes, the latter bringing more substantial changes. The mid-term review of the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy is also coming this year. I see much risk inherent in these processes. As the initial reactions of stakeholders indicate, we can expect very different interests to be clashing here.

To achieve the EU’s main biodiversity targets, no weakening of the nature directives is acceptable

And with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s words about ‘business-friendly’ legislation and cutting ‘green tape’ in mind, I fear that the Commission will not necessarily focus on correcting the malfunctioning bits of legislation as well as providing and enabling a framework for improved implementation. However, several case studies and assessments clearly point out that this is exactly what is much needed. Scientific evidence shows that the natural directives are not obstacles to sustainable economic development. The economic benefits from only the Natura 2000 network, created by the Habitats Directive, have been estimated in the order of €200-300bn a year, while the annual costs associated with managing and protecting the network are approximately €5.8bn.

The nature directives are recognised worldwide and have already contributed substantially to short-term improvements in the status of specific species and habitats. Besides, they can bring substantial benefits in the longer run both in social and economic terms.

Thus, any changes to the directives have to be done with extreme care, not allowing industrial and economic lobbying forces to dilute important elements of the legislation such as by the broader use of exemptions or any other flexibility mechanisms or the biased application of the concept of biodiversity offsetting.

To achieve the EU’s main biodiversity targets, no weakening of the nature directives is acceptable. The European Commission and member states should instead put more effort into enforcing and implementing them as well as upscaling effective measures. These measures should be taken immediately, encompassing the creation of connected and ecologically coherent networks of protected areas (green infrastructure), the proper management of these sites with a focus on species, habitats and ecosystems as well as the integration of biodiversity concerns in various fields and sectors including agriculture, fisheries, forestry, transport and industry to reduce the pressures on biodiversity.

Together with fellow MEPs, I will keep an eye on the Commission’s plans and actions deriving from the evaluation of the nature directives and make sure there are no backward steps in biodiversity protection and nature conservation in Europe, but rather that we live up to our legacy and step up our efforts.

 

EU nature protection – Greens/EFA

Posted on

New report must focus attention on need to defend EU rules on nature and birds.

The European Commission today presented its State of Nature report, which looks at the status of species and habitats protected under EU legislation on birds and nature over a 6 year period (2007-12). The report underlined concerns about the endangered status of species and habitats, as well as the EU’s goal of halting biodiversity loss. Commenting on the report, Green environment spokesperson Bas Eickhout said:

“This report should be a warning signal for European policy makers about the need to redouble our efforts to protect our indigenous nature and address biodiversity loss. With some in the European Commission sharpening their knives ahead of a review of EU legislation on birds and habitats, this report should serve as a rallying call to ensure these essential rules are not just maintained but properly enforced.”

Green environment spokesperson Benedek Javor added:

“While EU rules on birds and habitats have helped improve the status of some species, it is clear that many habitats and species are still in precarious situations. Despite some local improvements the majority of habitats and species in Europe have an unfavourable conservation status and the main EU target of ‘halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services’ by 2020 will not be achieved if the efforts are not upscaled. The report underlines the numerous, manmade threats to habitats and it is clear that more needs to be done to address this. Ahead of the mid-term review of the EU’s biodiversity strategy and with EU rules on birds and habitats in the line of fire, this report could not have come at a more timely moment. We hope its findings will be central to considerations on these issues.”

05.20.2015.
Greens/EFA

Whistleblower protection

Posted on

It is difficult to imagine corruption without the contribution of players who have the ability to abuse resources – mostly public resources – for the purpose of generating a private; only people with some kind of power in their hands are able to act as such. In order to prevent those powerful people from misusing public money we need people to counter them. Today, we cannot talk about a serious anti-corruption policy without meaningful protection for these brave men and women.

Whistleblowers play an important role in a democracy ensuring vital information in the public interest is brought to light. The level of the extent to which legal means and guarantees that serve to protect whistleblowers as well as the level of specially protected reporting channels are shockingly uneven when it comes to the different Member States. In view of the anomalies of different regulations, the weakness of national institutions, and recent atrocities and lawsuits brought against whistleblowers, it is high time that whistleblowers were guaranteed protection minimum across Europe.

The resolution voted by the EP in March on the report on the fight against fraud has demanded the Commission to propose legislation to this end and stop stalling.

Strasbourg, 29th April 2015

Benedek Jávor MEP

Shale gas extraction becomes cheaper in Hungary

Posted on

Today in Parliament the Hungarian government, with a majority, made an amendment in the law, reducing the drilling fee of shale gas drilling from 12% to 2%, which is more than puzzling, since despite the huge amount of Hungary’s resources, shale gas is hard to access in the country: in order to extract shale gas, the drilling has to go deeper, the use of chemical substances has to be increased, and the drilling will take place on densely populated areas. In addition, due to the demand for technology and capital, extraction is made possible for foreign companies only, whereas the Hungarian state could have only made profit through an increased drilling fee. Such a law will entail a greater risk for negative environmental consequences, the cost of which will be paid by the country and its citizens.

 

Press release from Benedek Jávor about the suspension of EU funds

Posted on

The Hungarian government now acts as if the European Commission’s decision on the suspension of EU funds was a surprise. There is, however, no reason to be surprised: the documents foreshadowing this recent development have long been made accessible. During this time action could have easily been taken to prevent such a decision; however, the government prefers a deeply corrupt procurement system over saving EU funds. What is more is that the present decision could be followed by many more: besides the operative projects now affected by the decision there are at least half a dozen similar projects that received the same evaluation from the Commission. Without a radical alteration in the system, even planned future projects are in jeopardy. It is high time that Viktor Orbán and János Lázár decided whether it is the funding of oligarchs or the fate of the country that matters more to them.

Last December I wrote in my blog about the documents that had been sent by the respective director general of the European Commission to the European Parliament in connection with the supervision of operative programs using EU development funds. This information involved the assessment of the management of all the operative programs of all EU Member States. As I pointed out in my blog post Hungary was among the worst in all examined areas. These data also showed that the Commission not only criticized the programs, but also deemed the provision of information by the Hungarian authorities unreliable.

It was very clear from all these data that the suspension of funds was about to happen. What was predictable now turned into reality. Now at the end of the fifth year of the Orbán-regime, the government’s communication pointing the finger on former governments when talking about the inherited tender-evaluation system, is completely discredited. This is also because the Hungarian management of EU development funds was completely reorganized by the 1st of January, 2014, in that it was assimilated partly into different departments and partly into the Prime Minister’s office. What also becomes clear from the information I provided in December is that the Commission brings its decision based on data received from annual audit records and from regularly updated continuous monitoring. In the current case the decision was probably based on audit records from 2013 and 2014. There is no doubt about whose responsibility this is. What is more is that the current decision can be followed by others: besides the operative projects now affected by the decision there are at least half a dozen similar projects that received the same evaluation from the Commission – these can also be suspended increasing the amount of money lost. Without a radical alteration in the system, even planned future projects are in jeopardy.

Hungary cannot afford to lose such an amount of funds due to the irregular selection of winning tenders. The current suspension affects 700 billion Forints and, according to estimations, will only become available again after paying a sanction mounting up to about 10% of this amount. If we add the development funds lost after the suspension of the Norwegian funds as a result of the government’s attack on the civil sector, the loss goes up as high as 100 billion Forints. It is high time that Viktor Orbán and János Lázár decided whether it is the funding of oligarchs or the fate of the country that matters more to them.

Brussels-Budapest, April 16, 2015
Benedek Jávor MEP

 

A war of independence for 5 million Forints a day – not with tax-payers’ money!

Posted on

According to Dialogue for Hungary, the Orbán-family and the Fidesz-clientele should be the ones to pay the sanctions laid out by the European Union after the government was unwilling to implement the EU’s energy efficiency directive into the Hungarian law. While increasing energy efficiency serves everyone’s interest, the lack of it only benefits nuclear lobbying and various gas traders.

The European Commission has decided to turn to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg because Hungary still has not implemented the energy efficiency directive in its internal legislature. This is the law that prescribes an annual energy renewal at 3% of the public institutions; in addition, it would bind energy providers to reach a 1.5% of new energy-savings, primarily by supporting the energy efficiency of households.

The Orbán-cabinet, however, does not at all want households to use less energy. Energy efficiency is out of the question: just now each and every item that would help to lessen energy-use is being wiped out of the national energy strategy. The government and its close economic clientele (from MET – the Hungarian Energy Association – owned by the friends of Viktor Orbán to Elios belonging to István Tiborcz, Mr. Orbán’s son in law) want nuclear power plants and Russian gas, as well as fast-consuming households.

Dialogue for Hungary believes that it would be in the best interest of the country to spend the given resources on energy efficiency investments, keeping to EU regulations, instead of nuclear power plants and gas pipelines. Instead of Brussels, the war of independence should be fought against Fidesz-friendly oligarchs with interests in the energy business; however, unfortunately we cannot count on the Hungarian government in this respect.

27th of March, 2015
Brussels-Budapest

Benedek Jávor, Member of the European Parliament

Europe’s most expensive motorway project has failed

Posted on
Based on suspicions of cartel and overpricing, Brussels has rejected financing what came to be known as Europe’s most expensive motorway, the M4. The project came into the European authorities’ scope of attention after a submission from MEP Benedek Jávor.  This miserable failure could have been prevented had the Hungarian authorities, who were the first to be warned by the EP member of Dialogue for Hungary, started dealing with the issue in time.
 
According to the original plans, the segment of the motorway between Abony and Fegyvernek was to be built for 3.79 billion Forints per kilometre (largely from EU funds) as opposed to the earlier record-keeper, the segment of the M7 motorway, including the viaduct, costing 2.8 billion per kilometre. The current motorway segment is without any extra – nothing would explain such a high price. Benedek Jávor, MEP from Dialogue for Hungary, has already issued questions to the government about the reasons last year; however, neither the Minister for Development, László Némethné, nor Mr. János Lázár, reacting on behalf of the Prime Minsiter, deemed intervention necessary. Back then the only response Mr. Jávor was given was that “the price of bitumen and asphalt has increased by 43% in the last ten years” (which is not true) and that because of the situation of the Hungarian economy, the state can only take loans for a higher price (which is irrelevant in case of road-building project funded by the EU).
 
In the meantime, the costs have been heavily raised from 110 billion to 160 billion, which goes beyond rational explanation even further. As the government was reluctant to initiate an investigation, Dialogue for Hungary turned to OLAF, the anti-fraud agency of the EU, which then forwarded Mr. Jávor’s submission to the responsible director general of the European Commission. Now it seems that the file was not just being tossed around by the EU organizations as even the Commission declared that the calculated expenses are astonishingly and irrationally exaggerated in the project carried out by the largest national road-construction companies (the Colas-Swietelsky consortium, the Közgép-A-Híd couple and Strabag).
 
The EU is reluctant to pay the bills of an investment that is suspected of cartel; thus, the project can only be financed by Hungarian tax-payers. According to Dialogue for Hungary it is sad that the government did not take their earlier remarks seriously in preventing the theft in time, thus causing damages to decent Hungarian tax-payers, worth hundreds of billions of Forints. The opposition party now urges strict investigation, accountability and revision affecting the entire EU investment portfolio: neither European nor Hungarian tax-payers wish to further assist to building up an Orbánesque state based on theft.

 

26 March 2015

Dialogue for Hungary agrees with Attila Péterfalvi: too much secrecy about Paks

Posted on

Dialogue for Hungary welcomes the opinion of Attila Péterfalvi, head of the data protection authority, that rejects the secrecy of the Paks-law: the green party believes that there are too many secrets surrounding the investment. We call on the government to revise its unsustainable stance and we filed a complaint to the European Commission, as the exclusion of publicity violates EU law as well.

In his opinion Attila Péterfalvi made it clear that the Paks law, affecting all data and preparatory documents and denying the access to public data is not compliant with the Hungarian legislation’s regulations on the publicity of public money and public data. According to Dialogue for Hungary the Orbán government, too, will have to take steps at this point. If even members from the innermost circle of trust of the government, as Péterfalvi, say that the secrecy is indefensible, it means that the law is not viable and will sooner or later fail at some higher level of our juristic system.

Another thing that became clear at the hearing about the expansion project in the European Parliament is that the European Commission, as well, urges as much transparency as possible. The new developments are shameful both for the government that proposed, and to János Áder, who as President of Hungary, signed the law. They both ignored the content of our fundamental laws and EU legislation on the publicity of public data. It is high time for the supervision of the law that contradicts both Hungarian and European legislation. Dialogue for Hungary seeks to quicken this procedure through its own means; therefore, we filed a complaint to the European Commission about the law that goes against EU directives.

Benedek Jávor, Member of the European Parliament

March 19, 2015
Brussels-Budapest