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Home arrow newsitems arrow Sarkozy: Green Growth renovates EU Industry against Dumping. Carbon Tax at EU Borders (Global Summit

Sarkozy: Green Growth renovates EU Industry against Dumping. Carbon Tax at EU Borders (Global Summit

Written by ACM
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
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Urmatt, 19 May 2009.

    "Green Growth challenge" must be won by the EU in order to renovate its Industry and overcome the current Economic Crisis by investments to Environment-friendly Modern Productions, defended against "Dumping"  by a "Carbon Tax" on imports violating Environmental Rules, that France and Germany will promote at European and Global level, hoping to benefit from US President Obama's positive stance and inspire him to advance further, from UN, etc. up to the Copenhagen December 2009 Summit, said French President Nicolas Sarkozy at Urmatt, a "Green City" with a huge modern Wood Sewmill, ideally located amidst Fir Tree Forests at Strasbourg's Alsace region. 

A move which apparently found timely support from the PanEuropean CoE, (See related 2nd Newstory, herewith).

    Speaking shortly after a meeting with German chancellor Angie Merkel earlier in Berlin, Sarkozy revealed that, "after the EU (June 2009) Elections, we (France) have to fight, together with our German Friends, to promote a Carbon Tax" on Environmental Dumping Imports "at Europe's borders", first in the UE, afterwards at G-8 and/or G-14 meetings, and at UNO's General Assembly (September 2009), in view of final decisions at Copenhagen December 2009 Global Summit on Climat :


- "This will be the moment of Truth : Everybody will take his Responsibilities for the Planet's future, in front of the eyes of all the International community". "We are the Last Generation which still can do something to protect the Planet's environment, before it becomes too late", he warned.

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"A Chance" for the Environment is given also by US President Obama's recent "Wonderful Speech", and we must all help him to advance even further, f.ex. by inspiring him with some examples from Europe" :

- France and  Europe "have no Oil, no Gaz, but a big potential in other Natural Resources, such as Forests", he pointed out.  F.ex. France alone has 45% of its land covered by Forests, but their capacities are not used in full. - "Wood could represent the equivalent of 6 Nuclear Plants in France, i.e. more than 1/3 of the effort needed in order to pass from 9% to 23% in Renewable Energy Sources during the next 10 Years, according to the "Climat- Energy package" that EU Council adopted on December 2008 and EU Parliament voted in 2009. But this means "21 Million m3 more wood to be processed from our Forests".

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- F.ex. Buildings are a Key-sector for a Strategy to fight Global Warming : Thanks to Wood's Thermal Qualities, it limits Energy consumption in buildings. And Thermal Isolation by Wood could bring a - 38% Economy of Energy bills until 2020". But today, EU member States as France, comparatively use "3 times less wood in buildings than the USA, and 5 times less than Japan", he denounced. Forests can massively capture Carbon from the Air, and provide Oxygen. To develop Forests, we'll test Financial Market mecanisms to favor the capturing of Carbon stocked in products made in wood, that we could promote at the Global Climat Summit's debates at the end of 2009. And we must stimulate and "boost the use of Wood for Energy Production", Sarkozy added.
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    - France and Europe must take care of, and renovate its Industry, because a performant and sustainable Economy cannot be limited only into Services alone. Arbitrary Outsourcing in order to re-import products from abroad through "Social and/or Environmental Dumping" and "Unfair Competition" is "Unacceptable", stressed from the outset Sarkozy, explaining the need for a "Carbon Tax" on imports from countries disrespectful of environmental rules.

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    -  Today, "we are living the worst Economic Crisis that the World has seen since 1929 : USA's Economy was restricted on a 6% annual trend during the first three months. Germany foresees a recession of 6% in a year", It's our Responsibility to act, and my belief that France and Europe can succeed to overcome this crisis and become stronger than before "by Innovation, by Investing ..to prepare the Future".

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    Symbolically, Sarkozy chose to speak at the same place where a pioneer "pole for New Materials from Natural Fibers", aiming at "synergies" between Industries of Wood, Paper and Textile as well as High-Tech Research, (able to invent, f.ex. wood that doesn't burn, textiles attracting Sun's energy, special clothes for Air-Space projects, etc), had been created, by a convention signed here between the French State and Alsace Region in 2007, thanks to former Minister Francois Loos, currently MP from Strasbourg's area.

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    Urmatt, a tiny village surrounded by large Forests at Vosges' Mountains, only 40 km from Strasbourg, succesfully combines its "Green City" Prize for Holidays along Bruche River, and a ..huge Industry covering some 45 acres with an Historic Wood Sewmill, founded back in 1827, continued and developed by 4 Generations of a Family business, until it became No 1 and the biggest industrial site in France on Fir Trees' wood, mainly after 45 Millions € investment in Modern Machines made in Germany, which automatised the industrial process with a Computer-governed robot-network. Proud to be "Zero waste", since all parts of the processed wood are used 100%, in one way or another, (either for Construction, or Paper, etc), "Siat-Braun" passed from 50 to 300 workers, multiplied by X 10 its turnover with 110 Million € per year, and recently doubled its production to some 900.000 m2 per year.

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    Several Targets obviously take as an example Strasbourg's Region Alsace, a pioneer in Buildings' Energy Efficiency and use of Renewable Energy sources, which got a Prize from EU Environment Commisioner Dimas on 2008, (See earlier NewStory on Alsace and Environment).

    Among several practical Measures announced are Tax reductions, low interest Loans, the creation of a sectoral Investment Fund, Rules augmenting 10% Wood's use in Buildings, better Prices for Electricity produced from Wood, "CO2 titles" at Financial Markets, reorganisation of Forests' Management, etc.

    - But, "what we are starting to do now for Forests and wood, we shall do it also on other Key-Sectors of decisive importance for the equilibrium of the Planet", Sarkozy anounced...

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 PanEuropean CoE's synchronous moves on Environment ?  CoE's Chairwoman, Ambassador/PR Marjetica Bole to "EuroFora"  

Strasbourg, May 20, 2009.

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Sarkozy's move came almost at the same time that "the Right to live in a Healthy Environment" was strongly supported at a PanEuropean level by the President of CoE's Assembly, Spanish MEP Luis de Puig :

Speaking after a Conference in Saint Petrograd, at Russia, De Puig announced that CoE's Assembly will officially ask to add to the European Convention of Human Rights also a right to live in a Healthy Environment, thanks to a Resolution scheduled to be debated and voted at its September 2009 plenary session in Strasbourg.


Timely welcoming invitees at the CoE with a placard titled : - "Forests : Europe's tresor" (PHOTO),  the incoming Slovenia's CoE Presidency inaugurated, next day in Strasbourg, an Exhibition dedicated on splendid Natural Landscapes, curved by water from the Seaside, through Rivers and Lakes, up to Alpes Mountains' sources.


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At the crossroads between Health and Cultural Heritage, which are among the priorities of CoE's Slovenian Presidency, Environment figured high in CoE's Chairwoman-in-office, Slovenian Ambassador-Permanent Representative Marjetica Bole's speech : - "12% of Slovenian territory is classified as protected Natural Parcs : 45 in all". This is " very important" for the protection of "Natural Resources", and "we are also aware that Landscapes are an essential part of .. Cultural Heritage, contributing to the ..European Identity", she stressed.

Ambassador Bole asked details from "EuroFora" on Sarkozy's visit at Urmatt, near Strasbourg, found "very interesting" his main declarations in favor of Nature, Climat, Energy, Industrial renovation, carbon tax, Green Growth, Investement and Scientific/technologic Innovation, etc., and noted that the Time Period highlighted by the French President (from June to December 2009 : See supra) "coincides" with that of the Slovenian CoE Presidency : from mid-May to November 2009, agreeing that such moves could be supported also by the PanEuropean, 47 Member Countries' strong, organization.

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    - "Europe must be liberated from this undermining "wooden talk" of a "unique thought" which hampers democratic debates", stressed incoming EU Chairman, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking to Journalists after his official meeting with EU Commission's President, Jose Barroso, at Elysee Palace in Paris

    - "It's precisely because there are not enough Debates, that EU hasn't managed yet to make it clear to European citizens what is really at stake", he added, in an obvious reference to the latest Irish "No" in 2008, after a long series of similar, unprecedented events, from the 1st Majority Abstention to EU Parliament's Elections in 1999, repeated in 2004, to the Dutch and French "No" in 2005, etc.


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          In fact, "there is no time to lose for Europe, and that's why we decided to start the French EU Presidency right away, from the first day", he explained, on France's exceptional choice to schedule the usual meeting with EU Commission from the 1st day of the 1st month, instead of the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th or even 10th or 11th, as it had been done by others in the Past..    


    - "This is not an easy period, but we shall act with determination, while also listening to Citizens' views", he promised.

    Sarkozy's move came shortly before his opening Speech, next week in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, for the first Public Debate on the Priorities of the French EU Presidency (July - December 2008), and that's one of the reasons for which he significantly opened his EU Council's Chairmanship by welcoming at Elysee palace EU Parliament's President, German MEP Hans Gert Poettering at first..

    The incoming EU Chairman was replying to Press Questions about rumours that controversial British EU Commissioner on Trade, Mandelson, was alone to drop an invitation to have a working Diner at Elysee palace, together with all other EU Commissioners and the French Government, only because he would have been upset for some critical points made earlier by President Sarkozy in defense of European Agriculture vis-a-vis its Foreign competitors.

    But, as smiling Sarkozy played down Mandelson's reported refusal to debate, saying that he had to visit Marseille for a Ministerial meeting on Trade the next morning, and that "all our British friends are always welcome to taste a nice diner" in France, perhaps at another occasion..

    - "It's urgent to win anew the trust of the People" : Lately, "the European ideal lost its momentum. Since several years, whenever Citizens are questioned on Europe, they react with reserves : They even have .. a tendency to reply "NO".. After this 3rd "No" of a People in some years, there is an Urgency to convince", added French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, after a meeting earlier the same day of all Ministers with EU Commissioners, followed by an interview with Barroso

    "According to recent Polls, only 30% of French people believe that the European construction is a source of hope. It's only a poll, but we all now quite well, that, since 2005, it's dangerous to neglect these alarming signals, as it would be dangerous to treat with contempt the Irish "No", Fillon warned.

    "We all have a common duty to prove to the European Citizens who have doubts, that EU is more useful, more necessary, than ever" : And "that EU can take decisions needed in order to respond to European or Global challenges", the Prime Minister concluded.

    - "We believe, together with President Sarkozy, that EU should open debates on all issues of direct, concrete interest to Citizens", confirmed later to EuroFora the Head of France's governing party (UMP), Patrick Devedjan, after his speech to the European People's party (EPP) Study Days in Paris (2 - 4 July 2008).

    He didn't deny that one of them is Turkey : - "Public Opinion in France is very much unfavorable to Turkey's EU bid, and President Sarkozy has said that several times", he told EuroFora.

    From European Central Bank's controversial policies on Euro's value, to EU Enlargement Strategy, etc., issues of obvious importance to EU Citizens will be plenty, next week in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, before President Sarkozy launches the debates on EU 2008 French chairmanship's priorities on Thursday.

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