Nature Can’t Vote – You Can

May 28

Nature Can’t Vote but You Can. 

Published 28th May 2024

 

The European and Local elections are coming up on June 7th and we are encouraging everyone to get out and vote. Nature cannot vote but you can, so why not use your vote to help protect and restore nature.  

 Sometimes the EU can seem far removed from what happens here at home, but it’s important we get good representatives elected onto an EU stage because what happens in politics there can drastically affect us here at home. For example, we are still without national Marine Protected Area legislation and all of our current MPA’s are designated and managed under EU law (the Birds and Habitats Directives). Ambitious nature laws like the Nature Restoration Law can be founded at EU level. If enacted the Nature Restoration Law will have important impacts on the Irish environment but some politicians at EU level were actively campaigning to kill off this law. A clear sign that the people we send to Brussels can make a real difference for nature – for good or for bad. 

 EU laws and local council decisions have a real effect on nature protection, so it’s important to ensure that who we vote for, at local and EU level, has the environment high on their list of priorities. If you want to have a positive impact on nature in Ireland please get out and vote on June 7th. Read on for some information on the elections, the EU parliament and the political grouping at work there. 

 

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What does the EU do for nature?

Funding from the EU helps with projects across different sectors in Ireland from tourism, farming, sustainable infrastructure and conservation. In February this year Ireland received 15 million from the EU to help establish Marine Protected Areas in Irish waters. Below are a few other projects which have taken place.

Avonmore River in Wicklow

2021-2027 – The Avonmore River in Wicklow is one of six catchments in Ireland selected to receive €9.5 million from the EU-funded Waters of LIFE project. The project will address the significant pressures in the catchment from forestry and agriculture. The aim is to ensure the river system achieves and maintains high ecological conditions with support from the EU’s LIFE programme

Danú Farming group

Running from 2018 – 2023, Danú Farming Group, led by a farmer in Mountrath, runs a project for biological farming transition, with the aid of €400,000 from the Agricultural European Innovation Partnership (EIG-AGRI). This project aims to educate farmers how to implement biological farming principles and practices, which take a holistic approach to soil, crop and pasture management. 

Protecting Farmland Pollinators

2018-2022. With EU funding, the National Biodiversity Data Centre plays a central role in a project that aims to protect pollinators. The Protecting Farmland Pollinators project aims to identify pollinator conservation measures that have the most impact and that are most cost-effective in order to encourage farmers to make their farm more pollinator friendly in a way that will not impact on productivity.

 

EU elections & European Parliament Groupings

We’ve put together some information to help you learn a bit more about our MEPs and the EU parliament political groupings. 

There are 74 MEP candidates contending for Ireland’s 14 seats in the European Parliament (1 more than last time).

There are 3 constituencies in Ireland for MEPs

  • Dublin – 4 seats available – 23 candidates running
  • Midlands NW – 5 seats available (2 new seats) – 28 candidates running
  • South – 5 seats available – 23 candidates running

 

For more detailed information on each candidate click here 

 

Political Groupings: What are they and which Irish party belongs to them?

The Members of the European Parliament sit in political groups – they are not organised by nationality, but by political affiliation. There are currently 7 political groups in the European Parliament. Some Members do not belong to any political group and are known as non-attached Members. Below is a table showing what parties our current MEPs belong to in Ireland and what EU political Group they are in.

 

3 of our current MEPs are not re-running. Colm Markey, Francis Fitzgerald, Deirdre Clune (all part of the European People’s Party/ Fine Gael) are stepping down. Below are the MEPs that are re-running

 

Dublin – Barry Andrews (Renew/Fianna Fail), Ciaran Cuffe (Greens/ Green party), Clare Daley (The Left/ Independents for change)

Midlands NW – Luke Ming Flanagan (The Left/ Independent), Chris MacManus (The Left/Sinn Fein), Maria Walsh (EPP/ Fine Gael)

South – Billy Kelleher (Renew/ Fianna Fail), Sean Kelly (EPP/ Fine Gael), Grace O’Sullivan (Greens/ Green Party), Mick Wallace (The Left/ Independents for Change)

 

Which groups in the EU have a track record of supporting nature restoration & protection?

The different EU groups have very different approaches to nature protection and restoration. Birdlife International, Climate Action Network Europe, European Environmental Bureau, Transport and Environment and WWF have compiled a scorecard for each EU group. Use the links below to browse the scorecards to look at the groups overall performance and see how they voted on files relating to nature, climate and pollution.

You can also click into national parties and see the parties in Ireland. By clicking on each of these parties you can see their score on different EU legislative files (again relating to climate, nature, pollution). Within political groups and national parties there will be diversity in how they vote so do take the time to look through the breakdown which has been put together.

 

The virtual scoreboard can be found here – https://caneurope.org/eu-parliament-scoreboard-2024/

 

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Asks for nature 

What should I ask my local and EU candidates?

It’s important that we ask all our candidates if nature and the environment is high on their agenda. The climate and biodiversity crisis are inextricably linked and there is no time to waste. 

For our EU candidates, some Irish parties have never had candidates elected as MEPs and it is still to be confirmed what political group they will join in the European Parliament, so this is also an important question to ask them.

Asks for Nature

  1. Wildlife Law: The enforcement of current nature protection law. For example the protection of peatland and hedgerows and proper management of protected areas [Wildlife Act & Birds and Habitats Directives].
  2. Nature Restoration: The creation and implementation of a National Restoration Plan for Ireland.
  3. Rewilding: The use of rewilding and nature based solutions to tackle climate change. Ensure renewable energy developments are situated in the right areas where the least damage to biodiversity will occur.
  4. Forest & Woodland: Irish woodland policy and subsidies should promote the creation of native woodland, using natural regeneration where possible, which will be set aside predominantly for nature. Future commercial forestry should be ‘close to nature’ with ‘continuous cover’ forestry practice.
  5. Marine Life: Ensure we reach 30% marine protected areas by 2030 with 10% of our MPAs strictly protected. This must be done with inclusive stakeholder engagement and ensure effective site specific management plans and monitoring.
  6. Peatlands: All our state owned bogs should be rewetted and rewilded.
  7. Freshwater: Protect our freshwater by reducing nutrient pollution and repealing the Arterial Drainage Act.
  8. Just Transition: Ensure measures are taken for a just transition for farmers and fishers so that people are supported to protect and restore nature. 

 

Questions for MEP candidates

  1. How will you support and strengthen the EU Green Deal? For example, the Nature Restoration Law and Common Agriculture Policy
  2. Will you support a ban on bottom trawling at an EU level and measures to protect seabed, eliminate bycatch?
  3. Will you ensure the next multiannual financial framework has sufficient funds allocated for nature and climate?

 

Hustings & Voting  

Online and in person hustings

You can attend hustings where EU candidates will be able to answer any questions you have and you can also hear them make statements which will give you an idea of their top priorities. If you search for your area you should be able to find some hustings which you could attend. Different organisations with different political agendas will hold these events so make sure you find one that aligns with what you care about.

Info on voting 

This page will give you information on voting in the EU elections

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government-in-ireland/elections-and-referenda/voting/voting-procedure-in-a-european-election/