European Vegetarian Union

Open Letter to Mr. José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission

update 2007/02/24: Answer from Artur Runge-Metzger on behalf of Mr Barroso

6 February 2007

Dear Mr. President,

On 25 March 2007, European leaders will gather in Berlin to sign a declaration on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. You want that important event not only to be "a commemoration of past achievements" but also "a restatement and recommitment to our values and ambitions, looking to the future for an enlarged Europe."

It will be a great anniversary celebrating an integrated community of democracies which in the past has brought peace, stability, prosperity and hope to people. However, there are now serious threats to the future which are challenging European ingenuity and are demanding new ways of thinking.

One of the most frightening problems is global warming, and, on behalf of tens of millions of European vegetarians, the European Vegetarian Union wants to take part in the debate.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has just stated at the Paris meeting (1) that global climate change is "very likely" to have a human cause. Not only thousands of scientists behind the study are remarkably united but international organizations are also very aware of the dire situation:

On 29 November 2006, the FAO (2) issued a stark warning: "Livestock a major threat to environment", explaining that the "livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – than transport. It is also a major source of land and water degradation."

The European Parliament alerted on 31 January 2007 that `Fighting climate change is about "saving civilization"' (3)

Today a great variety of solutions to the problem are being hotly discussed, some of which may be more promising than others. However, unfortunately there is no talk anywhere about the benefits which vegetarianism can deliver. After all, vegetarians do not have any share in the raising and killing of many billions of sentient animals.

In the search of how to stop the ongoing destruction of our world, the vegetarian way must not be ignored any longer.

Deeply concerned citizens want to know how they can contribute to the solution of a frightening global problem, and they have a right to obtain solid facts and figures about the situation. This also includes the right to reliable information about the vegetarian alternative and for that reason the European Vegetarian Union invites you to initiate an objective and open investigation of that compassionate lifestyle and make the result easily available to all interested people.

Sincerely,

Renato Pichler

Vice President
European Vegetarian Union
www.euroveg.eu
president@euroveg.eu

1. www.ipcc.ch/press/prwg2feb07.htm
2. www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html
3. www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/064-2624-030-01-05-911-20070131STO02623-2007-30-01-2007/default_en.htm


Dear Mr Pichler

Thank you for your email to President Barroso concerning climate change.
President Barroso forwarded your email to me and asked me to reply on his
behalf.

You point to the fact that not all agricultural products are linked to the
same amount of greenhouse gas emissions with livestock as an important
source of methane. The Commission is aware of this and has started to act.
In fact, in recent years greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture have
decreased - mainly due to the fact that animal numbers and the use of
fertilizer is decreasing with the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy
(CAP) taking away the incentives to increase production. Thus the CAP reform
has started to move agriculture in Europe into a more climate friendly direction.

Also raising the awareness of the climate impact of our behaviour as
consumers is important. Organisations like the European Vegetarian Union
can play an important role. Rather than any theoretical command and control
policy by governments awareness of consumers plays a significant role in
changing consumption patters of agricultural products. In this respect I
would like to encourage you to continue your work.


You can find more information on the Commission's climate change policy at
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/home_en.htm .

I would like to particularly point you to the most recent set of climate
change policy proposals of January 10.

Kind regards,
Artur Runge-Metzger

Head of Unit C.1 'Climate strategy, international negotiation and monitoring
of EU action'
Directorate 'Climate Change and Air'
European Commission
DG Environment
Office BU-5 2/137
1049 Brussels

 

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