Sarkozy: Green Growth renovates EU Industry against Dumping. Carbon Tax at EU Borders (Global Summit

Urmatt, 19 May 2009.

    "Green Growth challenge" must be won by the EU in order to renovate its Industry and overcome the current Economic Crisis by investments to Environment-friendly Modern Productions, defended against "Dumping"  by a "Carbon Tax" on imports violating Environmental Rules, that France and Germany will promote at European and Global level, hoping to benefit from US President Obama's positive stance and inspire him to advance further, from UN, etc. up to the Copenhagen December 2009 Summit, said French President Nicolas Sarkozy at Urmatt, a "Green City" with a huge modern Wood Sewmill, ideally located amidst Fir Tree Forests at Strasbourg's Alsace region. 

A move which apparently found timely support from the PanEuropean CoE, (See related 2nd Newstory, herewith).

    Speaking shortly after a meeting with German chancellor Angie Merkel earlier in Berlin, Sarkozy revealed that, "after the EU (June 2009) Elections, we (France) have to fight, together with our German Friends, to promote a Carbon Tax" on Environmental Dumping Imports "at Europe's borders", first in the UE, afterwards at G-8 and/or G-14 meetings, and at UNO's General Assembly (September 2009), in view of final decisions at Copenhagen December 2009 Global Summit on Climat :

- "This will be the moment of Truth : Everybody will take his Responsibilities for the Planet's future, in front of the eyes of all the International community". "We are the Last Generation which still can do something to protect the Planet's environment, before it becomes too late", he warned.

"A Chance" for the Environment is given also by US President Obama's recent "Wonderful Speech", and we must all help him to advance even further, f.ex. by inspiring him with some examples from Europe" :

- France and  Europe "have no Oil, no Gaz, but a big potential in other Natural Resources, such as Forests", he pointed out.  F.ex. France alone has 45% of its land covered by Forests, but their capacities are not used in full. - "Wood could represent the equivalent of 6 Nuclear Plants in France, i.e. more than 1/3 of the effort needed in order to pass from 9% to 23% in Renewable Energy Sources during the next 10 Years, according to the "Climat- Energy package" that EU Council adopted on December 2008 and EU Parliament voted in 2009. But this means "21 Million m3 more wood to be processed from our Forests".

- F.ex. Buildings are a Key-sector for a Strategy to fight Global Warming : Thanks to Wood's Thermal Qualities, it limits Energy consumption in buildings. And Thermal Isolation by Wood could bring a - 38% Economy of Energy bills until 2020". But today, EU member States as France, comparatively use "3 times less wood in buildings than the USA, and 5 times less than Japan", he denounced. Forests can massively capture Carbon from the Air, and provide Oxygen. To develop Forests, we'll test Financial Market mecanisms to favor the capturing of Carbon stocked in products made in wood, that we could promote at the Global Climat Summit's debates at the end of 2009. And we must stimulate and "boost the use of Wood for Energy Production", Sarkozy added.
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    - France and Europe must take care of, and renovate its Industry, because a performant and sustainable Economy cannot be limited only into Services alone. Arbitrary Outsourcing in order to re-import products from abroad through "Social and/or Environmental Dumping" and "Unfair Competition" is "Unacceptable", stressed from the outset Sarkozy, explaining the need for a "Carbon Tax" on imports from countries disrespectful of environmental rules.

    -  Today, "we are living the worst Economic Crisis that the World has seen since 1929 : USA's Economy was restricted on a 6% annual trend during the first three months. Germany foresees a recession of 6% in a year", It's our Responsibility to act, and my belief that France and Europe can succeed to overcome this crisis and become stronger than before "by Innovation, by Investing ..to prepare the Future".

    Symbolically, Sarkozy chose to speak at the same place where a pioneer "pole for New Materials from Natural Fibers", aiming at "synergies" between Industries of Wood, Paper and Textile as well as High-Tech Research, (able to invent, f.ex. wood that doesn't burn, textiles attracting Sun's energy, special clothes for Air-Space projects, etc), had been created, by a convention signed here between the French State and Alsace Region in 2007, thanks to former Minister Francois Loos, currently MP from Strasbourg's area.

    Urmatt, a tiny village surrounded by large Forests at Vosges' Mountains, only 40 km from Strasbourg, succesfully combines its "Green City" Prize for Holidays along Bruche River, and a ..huge Industry covering some 45 acres with an Historic Wood Sewmill, founded back in 1827, continued and developed by 4 Generations of a Family business, until it became No 1 and the biggest industrial site in France on Fir Trees' wood, mainly after 45 Millions € investment in Modern Machines made in Germany, which automatised the industrial process with a Computer-governed robot-network. Proud to be "Zero waste", since all parts of the processed wood are used 100%, in one way or another, (either for Construction, or Paper, etc), "Siat-Braun" passed from 50 to 300 workers, multiplied by X 10 its turnover with 110 Million € per year, and recently doubled its production to some 900.000 m2 per year.

    Among several practical Measures announced are Tax reductions, low interest Loans, the creation of a sectoral Investment Fund, Rules augmenting 10% Wood's use in Buildings, better Prices for Electricity produced from Wood, "CO2 titles" at Financial Markets, reorganisation of Forests' Management, etc.

    - But, "what we are starting to do now for Forests and wood, we shall do it also on other Key-Sectors of decisive importance for the equilibrium of the Planet", Sarkozy anounced...

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 PanEuropean CoE's synchronous moves on Environment ?  CoE's Chairwoman, Ambassador/PR Marjetica Bole to "EuroFora"  

Strasbourg, May 20, 2009.

Sarkozy's move came almost at the same time that "the Right to live in a Healthy Environment" was strongly supported at a PanEuropean level by the President of CoE's Assembly, Spanish MEP Luis de Puig :

Speaking after a Conference in Saint Petrograd, at Russia, De Puig announced that CoE's Assembly will officially ask to add to the European Convention of Human Rights also a right to live in a Healthy Environment, thanks to a Resolution scheduled to be debated and voted at its September 2009 plenary session in Strasbourg.

Timely welcoming invitees at the CoE with a placard titled : - "Forests : Europe's tresor" (PHOTO),  the incoming Slovenia's CoE Presidency inaugurated, next day in Strasbourg, an Exhibition dedicated on splendid Natural Landscapes, curved by water from the Seaside, through Rivers and Lakes, up to Alpes Mountains' sources.

At the crossroads between Health and Cultural Heritage, which are among the priorities of CoE's Slovenian Presidency, Environment figured high in CoE's Chairwoman-in-office, Slovenian Ambassador-Permanent Representative Marjetica Bole's speech : - "12% of Slovenian territory is classified as protected Natural Parcs : 45 in all". This is " very important" for the protection of "Natural Resources", and "we are also aware that Landscapes are an essential part of .. Cultural Heritage, contributing to the ..European Identity", she stressed.

Ambassador Bole asked details from "EuroFora" on Sarkozy's visit at Urmatt, near Strasbourg, found "very interesting" his main declarations in favor of Nature, Climat, Energy, Industrial renovation, carbon tax, Green Growth, Investement and Scientific/technologic Innovation, etc., and noted that the Time Period highlighted by the French President (from June to December 2009 : See supra) "coincides" with that of the Slovenian CoE Presidency : from mid-May to November 2009, agreeing that such moves could be supported also by the PanEuropean, 47 Member Countries' strong, organization.