Enterprise and Industry Commissioner Verheugen
For installing unbalanced High Level Working Groups serving big business interests
One would think that experts groups advising the European Commission on policy making should be transparent and well-balanced, in order to provide the policy-makers with neutral advice. Commissioner Verheugen however seemed to have other ideas when setting up High Level Groups.
The High Level Group on Competitiveness, Energy and the Environment, for example, is supposed to provide expert advice on the European Energy Policy. Verheugen however decided to dominate the group with large energy users and traditional energy suppliers. Companies pioneering renewables and energy efficiency, legitimate consumer and health organizations as well as academia are all absent in Verheugen’s not so balanced group, and only two environmental NGOs have been invited.
If one of the aims of the High Level Group is the development of environmental and other innovative technologies, it is hard to understand why experts from these sectors are so dramatically underrepresented. Although the name of the High Level Group includes the word “environment”, the clear focus lies on the competitiveness of European industry at the exclusion of all else.
The Cars 21 High Level Group demonstrates Verheugen’s biased mark just as much. It was set up to prepare the car industry for the competitive challenges of the next decade, searching for a ‘lean, clean and safe’ way forward. However the composition of the group is severely unbalanced – only three representatives were invited from trade unions, NGOs and users, while there are seven representatives from large automotive industry. It is perhaps no surprise then that its final report published in December 2005 is tailor-made to fit manufacturer’s interests in the face of growing competition, but contains not one new policy to combat rising overall emissions.
For more info:
Environmental Statement by environmental NGO representatives to the High Level Group on Competitiveness, Energy and the Environment, Green 10, Brussels, 28 February 2006
Energy, environment, competitiveness: Commission launches high level group, Commission press release IP/06/226, 24 February 2005
High level groups: Corporate Europe is becoming a reality, The Greens-EFA Press release, Brussels, 10 February 2006
First meeting of “CARS 21” group , Commission press release, 7 April 2005
CARS 21 High Level Group: EU Weakens Clean Car Strategy, press release by European Federation for Transport and Environment, 12 December 2005
Korruptionsminister wrote on 02-11-2005:
Verheugen was a pain in the lower part of the rump already when he yet "worked" in Germany. Now he assumes a Robin Hood's guise while still doing what his mother party now has done for years (since Schröder's rise to power): Sucking up on the industry, to harvest the fruits of his work later.
The EU is a garbage dump for political parties anyway: Got a politician which is of no use anymore (highly corrupt, convictable, or otherwise "burned") in national politics? Send him to the EU. No one will notice. No one will care.
And with the turning away of most of the former mainstream parties from the middle towards the upper crust of society in so many countries (e.g. GB, Netherlands, Germany..), why should EU representatives be different?
I wish we could just kick all of EU (which had been designed as economic union anyway) and start this United Europe afresh, this time with the focus on the people, not economy.
And the principle of EU-law overriding national law is a first class danger to democracy!
Bündnis `90 / DIE LÜGEN wrote on 02-11-2005:
Dazu fällt mir final nur noch folgende Seite ein:
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/3548750273.03.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Eileen wrote on 02-11-2005:
Genau diese Art von Experten und Beratern haben den Weg in eine 20 : 80 Gesellschaft vorangetrieben. Ich plädiere für die Verleihung des Awards 2006 an Herrn Verheugen und Co. KG
Mike Berger wrote on 02-11-2005:
Nur Dank verdeckter Lobbyarbeit und augenscheinlich wegen solcher Typen wie Günter Verheugen konnte die vormals sozialdemokratische „Schröder-Partei-Deutschlands“ (SPD) es packen, die reichste Partei in der EU zu werden.
Das Medienunternehmen SPD unter dem dicken Beck macht Politik und fettes Geld vor allem mit mehreren Dutzend Zeitungen, die von der Holding der SPD gesteuert werden.
Es soll da sogar Journalisten und Journalistinnen geben, die das meiste Geld nicht mit dem Veröffentlichen von Nachrichten verdienen, sondern mit dem Nicht-Veröffentlichen von Nachrichten.
Otto Kriens wrote on 01-11-2005:
Ist etwas Wahres an dem Gerücht, daß Verheugen in Instambul ein Grundstück (erhalten?) hat bei letzten Reise als Europaminister?
Roland Gerls wrote on 01-11-2005:
Verheugen supports the extension plans for the Frankfurt airport as an improvement of the infrastucture. THis is not correct. Frankfurt Extension is
rightaway just airport-operator Fraport business model
gawain wrote on 01-11-2005:
folks - great idea, but get the technology right. you are featured on tagesschau news. people are visiting. i cannot vote, enter button is missing. get this straight soon!
Solidus wrote on 01-11-2005:
you must vote for both categories only then a "cast in your votes" button will show up
anonymous wrote on 01-11-2005:
how the hell do you actually vote?