Golden Dawn MEP L. Fountoulis: Impose taxes on imports from third countries - Video

15/12/2016 19:52

Golden Dawn’s MEP, Lampros Fountoulis, made an intervention during the plenary of the European Parliament, on the discussion concerning emissions of air pollutants. Initially he recognized the progress that Europe has done in this sector, and he also asked for the imposition of high tariffs on products that are imported from third countries, which they don’t fill the same environmental standards. Finally, he asked the rejection of trade agreements such as TTIP, which will constitute a serious blow to efforts for reducing pollutants.

 

Follows the full text of the intervention:

 

"Europe has made very important strides in reducing emissions of air pollutants and generally in environmental protection. And this report is moving in this direction, despite individual disagreements we may have. Unfortunately, environmental pollution is a global problem, which can’t be solved only by the EU. Meanwhile, emissions and the efforts for their reduction have implications that extend to issues beyond ecological approach and have to do with economy, competition of companies and the context in which companies operate.

 

For example, with free trade agreements, the companies that remain in the Union, where there are many proper limitations for the emission of pollutants, will be facing companies which are based in China or Southeast Asia or even U.S.A., where the regulations are very relaxed and thus the production cost is reduced. Efficiently, we will force companies to migrate, causing in this way social and economic problems at the Union, but also overall greater environmental pollution.

 

We conclude that the restrictions on the emissions of pollutants must be accompanied by a policy of economic protectionism, so to make imports from countries that they don’t meet exactly same legal requirements regarding the emission of pollutants, very expensive. Unfortunately, FTAs are moving in exactly the opposite direction. Finally, the Union should review the relations that maintains with third countries, and to make environmental protection an important factor and a pre-requisite for the continuation of these relations."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Dawn’s MEP, Lampros Fountoulis, made an intervention during the plenary of the European Parliament, on the discussion concerning emissions of air pollutants. Initially he recognized the progress that Europe has done in this sector, and he also asked for the imposition of high tariffs on products that are imported from third countries, which they don’t fill the same environmental standards. Finally, he asked the rejection of trade agreements such as TTIP, which will constitute a serious blow to efforts for reducing pollutants.
 
Follows the full text of the intervention:
 
Europe has made very important strides in reducing emissions of air pollutants and generally in environmental protection. And this report is moving in this direction, despite individual disagreements we may have. Unfortunately, environmental pollution is a global problem, which can’t be solved only by the EU. Meanwhile, emissions and the efforts for their reduction have implications that extend to issues beyond ecological approach and have to do with economy, competition of companies and the context in which companies operate.
 
For example, with free trade agreements, the companies that remain in the Union, where there are many proper limitations for the emission of pollutants, will be facing companies which are based in China or Southeast Asia or even U.S.A., where the regulations are very relaxed and thus the production cost is reduced. Efficiently, we will force companies to migrate, causing in this way social and economic problems at the Union, but also overall greater environmental pollution.
We conclude that the restrictions on the emissions of pollutants must be accompanied by a policy of economic protectionism, so to make imports from countries that they don’t meet exactly same legal requirements regarding the emission of pollutants, very expensive. Unfortunately, FTAs are moving in exactly the opposite direction. Finally, the Union should review the relations that maintains with third countries, and to make environmental protection an important factor and a pre-requisite for the continuation of these relations.
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