Stop global warming - European citizens' initiative
In the last months of 2018, in view of the upcoming elections to the European Parliament, it was launched by Alberto Majocchi of the University of Pavia and collaborator of the Center for Studies on Federalism (CSF), Monica Frassoni President of the European Greens, Marco Cappato of “Più Europa”, a petition for an environmental tax aimed at targeting those responsible for CO2 pollution. The petition proposes the establishment of a European CARBON TAX.
This purpose is to promote a broad debate in European society and through social media (ex. Change.org) on the need to hinder with concrete measures and at European level the polluting emissions and to use the proceeds deriving from the tax for encouraging the creation of new jobs in ecologically virtuous sectors such as the green economy, the preservation of Europe's historical, artistic, cultural and environmental heritage.
The European carbon tax must be accompanied, according to the promoters, by an environmental tax on goods entering Europe from countries that do not respect the environmental criteria.
To support the proposal of a Carbon Pricing an ICE was filed "A price for carbon and emission to fight climate change", which was recently approved by the European Commission. The collection of the necessary signatures (one million in 7 different countries) has started since July, 22 on the website stopglobalwarming.eu. It is a difficult task, but not impossible, if all the groups that recognize themselves in the objective of sustainable development from an economic, environmental and social point of view will be able to join forces to move towards a political Europe capable of managing democratically and effectively the serious problems that the union must face today.
The ND4E promoters emphasize and consider how this initiative is closely linked with the initiative launched in 2013 with a European Citizens Initiative (ECI) first, then with a petition to the European Parliament.
A proposal by which CESI was the promoter and coordinator.
Recall that the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) is an institution established by the Lisbon Treaty art. 11.4. In 2013, with this initiative, the European Commission was asked to launch an "extraordinary European plan for sustainable development and employment" financed with a new European tax system, in particular with tax levies on financial transactions and CO2 emissions. With a loan in euro project bonds (resources to be used as the first concrete act in establishing a European Fund for the creation of new jobs, especially for young people, in the strategic sectors of the green economy, the preservation of artistic, cultural and historical heritage and European environmental). They were born in support of the ICE promoting committees in 9 countries of the European Union. 68 non-governmental organizations, 126 mayors of major European cities (including mayors of Turin, Paris, Rome, Lyon, Lille, Prague), 13 trade unions (among them in Spain UGT- and - CCOO, in France CFDT and CFCT) , in Italy CGIL-CISL-UIL, in Belgium the union of officials of the European Commission, in Greece the CSEE and other smaller ones such as the cross-border union Alpi-Arco Lemano), 47 personalities of the world of culture (among them Ulrich Beck, the director Ken Loach, Romano Prodi, Don Luigi Ciotti, Baldasar Garcon, Pascal Lamy, Yves Meny, Claus Offe, Moni Ovadia, Dusan Sidjanski, Tzetan Todorov), 48 European Parliamentarians, 5 out of 6 leaders of the main European parties (Verdi, Liberals, list-Tsipras, Socialists). In 2015, after the European elections and the appointment of Jean Claude Junker to the presidency of the European Commission, an investment plan was launched that partly responded to the requests expressed by the ICE. CESI as the first signatory of the ICE, proposed to continue the campaign aimed at achieving the objectives not yet reached by the Junker Plan with a PETITION to the European Parliament. On March 15, the petition was presented to the European Parliament.
After two hearings, the Budget, Economic and Monetary Commissions and the Commission's work petitions of the EU Commission, expressed appreciation for the contents and proposals of the ND4E Petition, decided to follow up by sending it to the European Commission's EFSI reform working group.
Adhering and collaborating to the success of this petition for a European carbon tax the ND4E follows its action.