

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

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.

"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".

- 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.

- 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".

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.

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.

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...
***
PanEuropean CoE's synchronous moves on Environment ? CoE's Chairwoman, Ambassador/PR Marjetica Bole to "EuroFora"
Strasbourg, May 20, 2009.
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.

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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Recent developments proved that Europe can suceed to overcome challenges by aiming at great objectives, and this is needed also in 2009, said EU chairman, French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
- "It's in the name of Great Ideas, Projects, Ambition and Ideals, that EU can overcome" challenges, stressed Sarkozy at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, in conclusion of a dense 7 months EU Chairmanship. "It's even easier for Europe to have Great projects, able to overcome national egoism, instead of limiting itself only to small projects" (unable to do alike), he observed.
- "Europe must remain Ambitious and understand that the World needs her to take Decisions". "The World needs a Strong Europe", which "thinks on its own, has convictions, its own responses, its imagination" : "A Europe which does not limit itself into following" others, (as it did in the Past, when it followed USA, f.ex. on Bosnia). On the contrary, "Europe should undertake its own responsibilities", he said, after a series of succes in stopping the War between Russia and Georgia, and organizing the 1st EuroZone's Summit in Paris, which incited the Washington DC G-20 Summit to extend similar decisions World-wide.
- "When you sweep it all under the carpet, prepare yourself for hard tomorrows", he warned. "What hinders decisions is the lack of Courage and Will, the fading away of Ideals", he stressed before EU Parliament's 2008 debate on Human Rights and Sakharov prize on Freedom of thought attributed by MEPs to Chinese cyber-dissident Hu Jia, followed by an EU - Turkey meeting on Friday.
- "I don't abandon my convictions" and "I will take initiatives" on EU level also in 2009, Sarkozy announced later. "France will not stop having convictions and taking initiatives" on Europe. + "It's an Error to wish to pass over the Heads of those who are elected in their Countries" : "It's an integrism I always fought against"', he warned.
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French EU Presidency faced 4 unexpected Crisis :
- An institutional crisis, with the Irish "No" to EU Lisbon Treaty, just before it started. A geopolitical crisis, wth the threat of War between Russia and Georgia risking to throw Europe back to Cold-war divisions, on August. A World-wide Financial and Economic crisis, arriving at a bad moment before crucial 2009 EU elections. And even a Strasbourg's mini-crisis, with EU Parliament's roof curiously falling down, from unknown reasons, in a brand new building on August, provoking an unprecedented transfert of the 2 September Plenary Sessions...
But it wasn't enough to stop Sarkozy ! On the contrary, it stimulated him...
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- "The better way to deal with the recent problems of EU institutions (as the "3 NO" by France, the Netherlands and Ireland) is to take them as a "Test" in order to find solutions closer to Citizens' concerns", said later in Strasbourg Sarkozy's new choice as Ministe for EU affairs, Bruno Le Maire.
- On the Institutional front, Sarkozy gave Time to the Irish to think about it, and stroke on December a deal including a New Referendum after the June 2009 EU Elections, in exchange of a promise to keep the rule of "one EU Commissioner for each EU Member Country", and some opt-outs on Defence and Fiscal EU policies, Abortion, etc. If the Irish get a "Yes" Majority, then the institutional package could be completed in 2010 or 2011 on the occasion of Croatia's probable EU accession.
He was accused in Strasbourg to upgrade EU Council and downgrade EU Commision, but he replied that "strong Political initiatives by EU Council reinforce also the more technical role of EU Commission, under the political-technical leadership of its President", all 3 "working together with EU Parliament".
- But, meanwhile, Sarkozy energetically spearheaded an Historic 1st Summit of EuroZone's 15 Heads of State and Government at EU's core, exceptionally enlarged to a partial participation of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, on October 12 in Paris' Elysee palace, which started to tackle succesfully the growing world Financial crisis.
It also paved the way for its endorsement by a subsequent Brussels' 27 EU Member States' gathering, before it all come to Washington's G-20 Summit. And "Europe was united, it asked for the 1st G-20 Summit, and it will also organise the next G-20 Summit on April in London", he observed.
But a Conference with EU, Russia, African and other Developing Countries, hosted in Strasbourg shortly after Washington G-20 Summit by the French EU Presidency, took a Resolution asking to enlarge participation to Global Economic Governance. Many found, indeed, illogic and unacceptable that f.ex. states as Turkey were given a seat at G-20 level, while all African Countries, and even the African Union itself, representing the greatest Continent on Earth, were excluded...
Meanwhile, even USA''s "Paulson No 3" Plan, was, in fact, inspired by Europe's No 1 Plan", Sarkozy observed, largelly applauded by MEPs.
And "Europe showed Solidarity" by mobilizing some 22 Billion credit for Hungary, 1,7 billion for Ukraine, as we do nowadays for Baltic States, etc., he added.
The move on Economy was extended on December by an EU stimulus' plan totalling some 200 billion Euros, including 5 Billions released by EU Commission for big Projects, as well as various parallel National plans for Economic revival, (fex. 26 billions in France alone). They might appear limited, compared to USA President-elect Obama's reported plan to boost the American economy with 800 billion $, but at least succeded to overcome Europe's divisions for the first time on Economic governance, opening new horizons.
- The French President stressed even harder the unique role of an active EU Council's chairmanship, when he moved swiftly and efficiently, at the beginning of August, to succesfully stop War between Russia and Georgia, at the last minute, which threatened to bring Europe back to Cold War division.
"We (EU) also wanted to avoid a situation like in Bosnia, in the Past, when EU was absent, so that our American friends took their responsibilitues, and EU only followed", despite the fact that the conflict took place in Europe. Now, it was the EU who took its responsibilities".
A roadmap towards a new PanEuropean Security policy, before which all unilateral moves to place new Missiles (from USA or Russia) would be freezed, was proposed by Sarkozy after a meeting with Russian president Medvedev, at the eve of Washington DC's G-20 Summit.
Ukraine's "European" character was stressed at a Sarkozy - Jushenko Summit, September in Paris, while EU adopted on December an "Eastern policy", in which, "I'm convinced that our (EU's) future is to find with our Neighbours the conditions for Economic Development. Peace and Security, by explaining them that.. they must respect (Human Rights') Values, and adopt behaviors different from the Past", explained Sarkozy in Strasbourg.
Meanwhile, the "Union for the Mediterranean" was created, since July's Summit if 45 Heads of State and Government in Paris, as "an organisation for a permanent Dialogue, that we need", mainly in order to tackle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, by bringing together, for the 1st time, Israelis and Arabs, where "Europe must be present, in order to avoid a frontal clash".
- "If Europe doesn't take its part for Peace in the Middle-East, nobody else will do that in our place", Sarkozy stressed.
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Meanwhile, other EU Agreements were brokered during the French EU Presidency on Immigration, (fex. common Asylum rules, etc), and Climat- Energy :
- On Climat-Energy, the 2007 German EU Presidency had fixed a triple 20% aim for 2020 (20% renewable Energies, 20% reduction of CO2 emmission, 20% energy efficience/economies), and the 2008 French EU Presidecny realized that, making the necessary compromises in order to modernize EU's industry, but without throwing some former Central-Eastern European Countries into abrupt Economic break down risking "social explosion".
- Defence-Security EU policy was mainly postponed for April 2009, since both German chancellor Merkel and French president Sarkozy want to strike a deal with the new American president Obama in Strasbourg's NATO Summit.
However, with all these 4 unexpected Crisis diverting attention to other urgencies, People wil wonder now, what happened to the famous deal proposed by freshly-elected French President Sarkozy on Turkey's controversial EU bid, back on August 2007, to continue EU - Turkey negotiations, but on the double condition that core chapters, intrinsequally linked with EU Membership, will be excluded, and that a collective Reflexion and Debate on Europe's future would start before the end of 2008.
It was meant to reply to the crucial question : What kind of Europe do we want in 10 or 20 Years from now : A large Market, or a Political Europe, with a popular identity ? In Sarkozy's thinking, presented in his 2 landmark speeches on Europe in Strasbourg, shortly before and after the 2007 Elections, (on February and July 2007), Turkey's controversial EU bid would be incompatible with the second choice.
It's true that EU Commision's Chairman, Jose Barroso, (who had notoriously declared, as former Portuguese Prime Minister, that he found "nonsense" the idea that Europe might become equal to the US), had repeatedly tried to avoid that Sarkozy's criticism on Turkey might start winning a larger audience in Europe, preferring a discrete "wismens' committee" work. And that most of the personalities later chosen in order to participate in a Committee on Europe's Future, are too much linked with Socialist parties and/or American policies, to be really critical of USA's notorious wish to impose Turkey to the EU, as Sarkozy had noted himself since March 2007..
- "It's on EU Council's presidency to take political initiatives. EU Commission has other competences", stressed Sarkozy. The "European Ideal" is to "build Europe with the States, not against them". "Ask Europeans to chose between their countries and Europe won't work. You don't choose between your two parents : We must add them together".
"France and Germany have an Historic Duty to work together, precisely because of what happened to the Past. We have to work hand by hand. We cannot be separated.It goes beyond me and Mrs Merkel today, Mr Schroeder and Mr. Chirac yesterday. It's not a choice, it's a duty to Europe and to the World". "We need Germany, as Germany needs Europe". Compromise is inevitable, here as everywhere, and each one made some steps towards eachother's positions.
But "it's true that Mrs Merkel didn't chose her Socialist partners, while I chose mine", Sarkozy said, in an indirect hint that the Socialist Minister of Finance in Germany might be a cause of minor past disagreements in Economy, which were overcome in recent negotiations.
"We (France and Germany) have particular duties in Europe", but "in a Europe of 27 Member States, it's not enough for France and Germany to agree between them.
"I always thought that Great Britain has a special role to play in Europe. ... Now, everybody "saw what it cost payed the UK for having been too exclusively open towards the US (and) Financial services. Europe needs the UK, but also the UK needs Europe" :- "We were able to face the hardest moment of the Financial crisis because the UK clearly chose Europe", stressed Sarkozy, reminding Gordon Brown's exceptional participation to the Historic 1st Heads of State/Government Summit of EuroZone, October 12 in Paris (See EuroFora's Reportage from Elysee Palace then).
- "Some look at Europe with old glasses aged 30 years ago. While we must look at her in relation to what it will be in 30 years" in the Future, Sarkozy concluded.