EU Parliament declares state of emergency

And hardly anyone outside Strasbourg notices

Fortunately the motion was passed by the EU Parliament, which has little power

Yesterday in Strasbourg the EU Parliament passed a motion declaring a state of emergency. The motion was passed by 429 to 225 votes, with 19 abstentions, a majority of 204.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

The motion states that :-

“The European Parliament [EU Parliament – Ed.] declares a climate and environment emergency; calls on the Commission, the Member States and all global actors, and declares its own commitment, to urgently take the concrete action needed in order to fight and contain this threat before it is too late;”

What is a “State of Emergency”?

If a state of emergency is declared in a country, the government is empowered to perform actions or impose policies that it would normally not be permitted to undertake. In general, states of emergency are declared following a natural disaster, civil unrest, or armed conflict.

Under international law, rights and freedoms may be suspended during a state of emergency. For example, a government can detain persons and hold them without trial. Under this same law, however, a government must inform the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

As so often, the EU is way behind the UK

It was the Welsh Assembly which was the first national assembly in the world to declare a ‘State of Emergency’ on climate change. This took place on 29 April this year – over six months before the EU Parliament.

Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the SNP, also declared a State of Emergency in Scotland the previous day, but she did this unilaterally at a party conference. This was not as a result of a motion in the Scottish Parliament.

Both Wales and Scotland have the status of “devolved administrations”, which gives them limited powers. Many of these have not of course yet been tested in the courts.

So what does the EU Parliament’s declaration of a “State of Emergency” mean?

Yesterday’s declaration by MEPs in Strasbourg has only symbolic meaning. In practice they are unable to introduce laws, although the entire legislative structure of the EU will soon be reviewed as part of a Franco-German initiative being led by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

All the MEPs can do is ask the EU Commission and the EU Council to look at this. This is what they have now done. The final wording in the resolution “instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.”

Readers can read the full motion which was passed here.

What will the EU Council decide?

The EU Commission has already proposed the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, but the EU Council has still not endorsed it, as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic are opposed.

Observations

There are MEPs in the EU Parliament whose views are not too far from those of the extremist activists from ‘Extinction Rebellion’ in the UK. Sadly the antics of MEPs from across the EU are seldom shown on British TV.

We really wish the British public could get sight of the antics and opinions of some MEPs. Perhaps this is why the BBC almost never covers any of the proceedings there.

Putting aside the declaration of a ‘State of Emergency’ by MEPs yesterday, however, the motion does not go as far as the some of the policies now being expounded by the major political parties in the United Kingdom.

We have very considerable reservations on almost every level in relation to ‘climate science’, but when it comes to targets being set by the EU Parliament, no Remainer can claim that the EU ‘leads the way’.

As with subjects like ‘workers’ rights’, the UK is ahead of the EU. Readers may not always like the policies involved behind these facts, but facts they are.

The dangers of giving the EU power

In the last two days we have published articles on the lack of democratic legitimacy throughout the EU. If any body in the EU can try to claim a limited form of legitimacy, it is the EU Parliament. At least MEPs are elected, not appointed, even if the overall system is deeply flawed.

Over time, the EU Parliament has gradually gained more powers. It is of deep concern to us that the EU plans to extend these, whilst at the same time giving national parliaments less and less say.

In 2016 the British people voted to take back control. Remainers need to be very clear that staying in the EU cedes more and more control to bodies which do not represent the interests of the British people. There is no ‘status quo’, there is only a continuing path to an EU superstate.

[ Sources: EU Parliament | EU Council ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, 29 Nov 2019

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Reader Comments 10

1. Sydney Ashurst , Friday, November 29, 2019, 09:01:

What has brought this about?
The rise of the Global mean surface temperature by just under 1 degree celsius in 140 years. A UN politically motivated IPCC. Sensationalising journalism. Politically Correct MP's proceeding lemming-like, to plan for the suicide of industrial society.

2. steve, yorks , Friday, November 29, 2019, 09:04:

We have more immediate EMERGENCIES to deal with :-
DEMOCRACY EMERGENCY - quislings and evil 'leaders' trying to remove accountability forever along with justice, equality, etc etc...
WORLD POPULATION EMERGENCY - the biggest threat to the planet is the rise in people on it, and the resources they will consume

3. Barbara Jell , Friday, November 29, 2019, 09:33:

1 Sydney - so very right - our brain-dead, self-serving MP's consider it a badge of honour to jump on the latest hysterical, liberally progressive cause celebre and bandwagon to the extreme detriment and disadvantage of the people they purportedly represent, causing socio/economic misery in their misguided stupidity.
2 Steve, yorks - hell awaits, and the collapse of all our socio/economic structures if the two REAL emergencies of Democracy and the unsustainable global population explosion are not dealt with seriously and swiftly. Even David Attenborough, a notable climate change supporter, has alluded to the important necessity to control the global population. It's not rocket science, is it!?

4. Sydney Ashurst , Friday, November 29, 2019, 12:34:

At a press conference on Wednesday (20th November) two days ago, the European Parliament was told: ‘there is no climate emergency’. One MEP became emotional and accused the organisers of ‘collective manslaughter’ on future generations.
The Liberal Democrat MEP, Irina von Wiese, took umbrage at the declaration, and refused to believe IPCC statements about in extreme weather events.
The declaration was supported by an addendum, setting out the scientific justification for the statement:
The press conference was hosted by the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, who formally received the climate declaration from Professor Guus Berkhout.
Professor Berkhout represents the (Clintel), a Dutch group who have collected signatures from over 700 prominent scientists and professionals in support of the basic statement: there is no climate emergency.
Signatories include Nobel laureate, Professor Ivar Giaever, who made important experimental discoveries regarding superconductors, and the influential mathematician and physicist Professor Freeman Dyson.
The declaration states:
Natural as well as anthropogenic factors cause warming
The geological archive reveals that Earth’s climate has varied as long as the planet has existed, with natural cold and warm phases. The Little Ice Age ended as recently as 1850. Therefore, it is no surprise that we now are experiencing a period of warming.
Warming is far slower than predicted
Climate policy relies on inadequate models
CO2 is plant food, the basis of all life on Earth
Global warming has not increased natural disasters
Climate policy must respect scientific and economic realities
The scientific illiterate, hysterical European Parliament has reacted yesterday by ignoring these respected Scientists and declared 'A State of Emergency'.

5. Concerned , Friday, November 29, 2019, 15:23:

After reading this and the excellent comments I alighted on Breitbart and read this: "Former Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow has admitted that he had a “handmaiden role” in helping to stop a clean-break Brexit." - well, well we all knew that, but as is the norm with such people, he got away with it! He was able to resign and keep all his benefits without losing anything.
You see in this how the other half (political class) live.
No wonder I am disgusted with the the Westminster bubble.

6. Michael Wood , Friday, November 29, 2019, 15:26:

Sydney Ashurst.
It's worth watching Tony Heller's videos on YouTube or via his website at:- www.realclimatescience.com

7. Dennis , Saturday, November 30, 2019, 22:38:

The UN says 1.1 deg C rise since pre-industrialisation, which they now say is 1850, although industrialisation started in the 18th century. The range of natural variation is said to be 2 deg C so we are still within that range. It was pretty cold prior to 1850, was that "normal" and is that what we should aspire to? There has been no rise in average temperature in the UK in the last 30 years. Annual changes in temperature do not correlate with annual changes in CO2 in the atmosphere, therefore CO2 does not do what is claimed for it. In the 60's and 70's, temperatures fell globally, in spite of rising CO2. UN climate models offer simulations, not predictions, but they are now presented as facts, this WILL happen, rather than they haven't a clue. The UN objective is a global "carbon" tax to be agreed next year when the UN circus comes to Glasgow and they seek to put legal flesh on the Paris Agreement. Operation of global energy taxation means lots of money for consultancies, global financiers and bankers.The "sustainable energy systems" for developing countries will not be manufactured in those countries, but by the global companies seeking to benefit from the public trough. Trump was right, it is a hoax, but not by the Chinese, rather by our own scientists and politicians. Groups like Extinction Rebellion are being funded to lobby governments for policies that they want to impose anyway. They can then say they are responding to public pressure. Even if you believe CO2 (not carbon), is cooking the planet, the UK is responsible for just over 1% of global emissions. Asia in total is 48%, China 28% and rising daily. If we abandoned all fossil fuel tomorrow, no-one would notice, not even the climate, but life as we know it would come to a halt.

8. Concerned , Sunday, December 01, 2019, 10:13:

The emergency of course should refer to the slide iof the EU nto the new USSR.

9. Steve , Sunday, December 01, 2019, 18:46:

The original global warming panic has already been debunked. The hockey stick graph used by Al Gore to brainwash children was shown to involve manipulation of historic temperatures and wrong forecasts which did not occur. Recently, the models were changed to halve warming and Prof Grubb admitted that they were wrong. Now the spine is that this latest forecast gives us more time to avert catastrophe. Hence the never ending news stories about disasters, which turn out to be normal, and the hysterical ignorant coverage of extinction loons, subsidised by big green business pushing wind and hydrogen from gas with carbon capture to be put into old oilfields.

10. S D Holden , Tuesday, December 03, 2019, 00:08:

Is there really an emergency? If so; Why did the UN nearly sack the IPCC and its 300 scientists when they failed to find an anthropogenic link to climate change in 1990?
Could it be an economic position given that the 'Climate' industry is worth $2,000,000,000,000 - yep 2 Trillion dollars.
Or could it be a political position given that the former Canadian Minister of the Environment, Christine Stewart, said
"No matter if the science of global warming is all phony…climate change provides the greatest opportunity to bring about justice and equality in the world.”
(above ref: academia.edu, last accessed 02/12/19).
I can't express how frustrated I am. YES, it's happening. YES, it would be prudent to stop fugging up our environment. NO, it is NOT an emergency. NO, I am not responsible for stealing everyone's future. And finally; NO, we should not knee-jerk ourselves into heavy-metal batteries that are so incredibly toxic to the environment of the future.

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