a
what was at stake
b
green position
c
what we achieved
d
what we did not achieve

Serious chemical pollution of the Huelva wetlands (Spain)

The Committee on Petitions went on a fact-finding mission to Huelva, Spain, to investigate evidence of the heavy pollution of the area following the depositing there over the past 50 years of an estimated 125 million tonnes of toxic and hazardous waste from an old fertiliser plant.

The Huelva wetlands are a very sensitive ecosystem, and the pollution has had a serious impact on its soil and water.

 

What was the Greens' position?

The Greens believe the precautionary principle applies and that public health should be put before any considerations of economic interest.

Our main goals were to highlight the emergency and its associated risks and to push for the implementation of a decontamination plan.

 

Did other MEPs accept the Greens' position?

We managed to ensure that the precautionary principle was incorporated into the text, along with permanent monitoring of future activities and their environmental impact.

We also successfully underlined the urgency of decontaminating the area, based on the polluter pays principle.

 

Which points did the Greens lose?
We did not raise enough support to have the causal relations between the serious pollution and public health problems included in the final text.
Reference(s)
Committee:PETI

Procedure:Fact finding mission

Reference(s):-

Lead MEP:Pascale Gruny (EPP)

Green MEP responsible:-

Voted:14/06/2010

Staff contact:Marc Gimenéz (Email)