Rubbish politics
The EU’s Landfill Directive demands an increasing cut in the amount of waste sent to landfill. The 2010 target is a 25 per cent reduction from the 1995 levels, and 65 per cent by 2020. At the same time, the government wants to save £550 million by sacking half the refuse workers and ending weekly bin collections. The vast majority here want to keep weekly rubbish collections, but that does not matter to the British or EU governments.
Subsidising forest clearance
The use of biofuels to meet EU and government targets could be more environmentally damaging than using fossil fuels because of the need to clear millions of acres of forest for commercial plantations. A leaked memo from the EU agriculture directorate reveals that the European biofuel industry would be in danger if these changes of land use were included in sustainability standards. The industry receives a subsidy of almost £3 billion each year.
Brussels gold
Environmental groups get millions of pounds in taxpayers’ money from the EU. Six bodies, including Friends of the Earth and the World Wildlife Fund, had 3.37 million euros in grants (about £3 million) – and then spent £2.69 million on lobbying the EU. Meanwhile, the EU is giving European political parties an increasing amount of support. The bill for 2010 will be 18 million euros, a total of 60 million euros since 2004. This undemocratic process has no independent control: MEPs select the auditors.
Who needs English?
EU rules outlaw checks on foreign doctors' language skills. France skirts the ban by inviting prospective foreign GPs for interview – to check their language skills. Following the death of David Gray, killed by a German doctor with poor English, the General Medical Council met Health Secretary Andy Burnham in March to demand an end to this ban – but were told it could mean fines from the European Commission.
Pay, but don’t watch
LONDON’S residents are paying for the 2012 Olympics, but won’t get preference in the race for tickets as EU law bans “discrimination”.