A SEED Europe leaflet on TENs

Dear friends,
Here is the text of the campaign leaflet that you received by mail a 
few weeks ago. It would be great if you could forward it to all the 
transport activists you know.

Many thanks
Elisa Peter and Olivier Hoedema
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A SEED EUROPE PRESENTS
TRANS-EUROPEAN NETWORKS -
ROADS TO NOWHERE!

European campaign against unsustainable transport policies

Trans-European Networks - largest transport investments ever
planned

More than 15.000 kilometres of new roads, thousands of kilometres
of high-speed train links and a few traditional rail links,
numerous airport expansions, and a handful of waterways. These
dizzying plans are the core of the Trans-European Networks
(TENs), the infrastructure plans promoted by the European Union
(EU). Such massive investments in unsustainable modes of
transport are in sharp contrast to the EUs own official environ-
mental goals. TENs in the current shape will destroy nature areas
all over Europe and make it virtually impossible to reduce
emissions of greenhouse gases. 

No wonder that the resistance against the many TENs projects is
growing. Campaigns all over Europe, especially in France and the
UK, have already shown the potential impact of non-violent direct
actions. The TENs campaign aims to build a strong network of
action groups fighting unsustainable transport schemes. Main
activities in the coming months include a seminar for transport
activists (December 1995, in Spain) and a Europe-wide TENs action
day (March 1996). In the meantime, action is urgently needed to
influence the European Parliament (EP) during its second and
final reading on TENs, this autumn.


The European Parliament can prevent a TENs disaster

In May 1995, the EP debated the Trans-European Networks. The
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) decided to add a long
list of environmentally unfriendly projects (motorways, highspeed
trains, etc.), but also voted for much stricter environmental
criteria. However, a few months later, the Council of Ministers
rejected the main environmental improvements proposed by the
MEPs! 


Action needed

Fortunately, the MEPs have the right to a so-called "second
reading". A lot of pressure is needed to make them stick to the
environmentally-friendly amendments. Letters and faxes coming
from groups all over Europe could play a crucial role. Your
letter/fax should be as personal as possible, preferably hand-
written, and give examples of TENs projects under construction
in your country to back up the arguments against TENs as a whole.
Actions (like blocking the garage of MEPs opposing the environ-
mental improvements) are also an essential part of the strategy,
for instance as a way of getting media attention.

TENGO, the coalition of international NGOs campaigning for
greener TENs, was successful in lobbying the MEPs this spring.
The TENGO partners (ALARM UK, A SEED Europe, Greenpeace, WWF,
T&E, Birdlife and Friends of the Earth) will continue their joint
efforts this autumn.


Action Day

A Europe-wide Action Day against TENs projects will take place
on March 30, 1996. We hope that local action groups campaigning
against TENs projects will all participate in this day of
protest. It will be a decentralised event, with a common theme
and common activities. It is up to you to decide in which way you
want to get involved. Road blockades using bulldozers (or lighter
material!), peaceful demonstrations, public information forums,
bike or skate tours, activist exchanges between groups, or any
other bright ideas are very welcome.
If you have a brilliant idea but no money for your action, it
might be worthwhile to get in touch with the A SEED Europe
Office.


 transport vs. environment

The transport sector is a major threat to the environment. It is
causing irreversible disasters all over Europe. Vehicle exhaust
emissions (CO2, CO, NOx, SOx, VOCs, particulates, and so forth)
are the main contributors to air pollution and climate change.
Forecasts predict that the share of CO2 emissions coming from
transport will increase from the current 25% to over 50% by 2010.
Transport also causes acid rain (which destroys forest areas),
chronic health diseases, the creation of tropospheric ozone and
photochemical smog. Moreover, the construction of infrastructure
generates other kinds of damage, which are as harmful to humans
and the environment as the traffic itself: destruction of wild
nature areas, imperilment of valuable habitats and loss of
biological diversity, water and land pollution, noise, etc.


TENs Hot Spots

The Somport tunnel and the accompanying road scheme through the
Vallee d'Aspe in the French Pyrenees is probably the most
wellknown Trans-European Road Network project, but this is only
one of more than 140 new motorways in TENs. The long list of
controversial projects include the OEresund bridge (between
Denmark and Sweden), the motorway through the Nevia valley in
Galicia (Spain), the Malpensa airport near Milano, the highspeed
train link from Amsterdam to Brussels, and many more.


TENs are also a financial disaster. The EU claims that investing
billions of tax payers' ECUs in transport infrastructure is a
good way of creating jobs. However, it has failed to produce
convincing studies to support this assumption. In fact, there is
extensive literature indicating that the effects might be the
opposite. In numerous cases new infrastructure for highspeed
transport has lead to centralised production damaging local
markets and causing the loss of local jobs.


Concrete Action

Concrete Action is the newsletter for activists fighting
unsustainable infrastructure projects. It comes out every second
month and aims to improve communication between groups working
on apparently isolated campaigns that are in fact part of a wider
European plan. For this purpose, Concrete Action brings updates
on planning in the European Union, follows campaigns in various
countries, gives background information and serves as a letter-
box for contacts and discussions on strategy. You'd better
subscribe right now if you are looking for the latest valuable
news on TENs! Also, your contribution (articles, news, views and
ideas, etc.) is very welcome.


Seminar for transport activists: don't miss it!

An international seminar for activists campaigning against TENs
projects will be held from 7-11 December in Basque Country
(Spain). During the days, we will discuss: transport infrastru-
cture -- why they want it, why we might not need it; transport
and economy (do TENs create jobs and boost regional economies?
What are the alternatives?); strategies for resistance and much
more (media training, camcorder training, email training, country
studies, etc.). 

After the seminar, everybody is warmly invited to the Alternative
Forum taking place in Madrid parallel to the EU Summit (11-16
December). A perfect opportunity to show the EU leaders that
their transport plans are heading down a dead end road.


European anti-roads video & campaign handbook

Another element in the TENs campaign is to publish a campaign
handbook full of original ideas for transport actions. But we
need your help: please send us your success stories (and
educative failures!).
Another tool in campaigning against TENs projects will be a video
compiling European anti-road actions. So please send us video
material from your site of resistance!


Climate Change: it's Time for Action

The TENs campaign is part of a common campaign of the 3 European
environmental youth networks (A SEED Europe, EYFA and YEE) to
combat the causes of climate change. The campaign also includes
the bimonthly campaign magazine CLIMAX, subcampaigns on urban
ecology and alternative economies, the Sustainable Europe bus
Tour (that will visit local groups all over Europe during the
summer of 1996), as well as the 4th annual Climate Action Day,
which will take place on May 15th.


FILL IN AND SEND TO:
A SEED Europe Office
P.O. Box 92066
1090 AB Amsterdam
Netherlands
tel. 31-20-6682236
fax. 31-20-6650166
email aseedeur@antenna.nl

YES, I want to receive:

Concrete Action
TEN-pack (essential articles on TENs)
regular updates and action alerts on the EU's decision making on
       TENs
addresses of MEPs in my country

more information about:
       the transport activist seminar
       the TENs action day
       the campaign handbook
       the video project
       the climate campaign
       A SEED Europe

Name:
Organisation:
Address:
Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail:


What is A SEED?

A SEED (Action for Solidarity, Equality, Environment and
Development) Europe is the European branch of a worldwide network
of committed young people who feel an urgent need for change. We
are active in environmental movements, in solidarity groups, and
in the youth and student movement. We work at the local, national
and regional level, against domination and exploitation of people
and of nature. Fundamentally, A SEED exists to facilitate co-
ordinated actions among young organisers in all parts of the
world that address the global environment and development crisis.

A SEED Europe is an open network that can be used as a vehicle
for co-operation among groups. It does not have a hierarchical
structure, so participating in A SEED Europe does not mean
compromising your identity or your ideas.

Within A SEED Europe, there are several working groups co-
ordinating the actions of people around Europe working on the
following issues: Multilateral Development Banks; the European
Union and the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT);
Inform me about that Multinational, Please! (IMPs); Climate
Change; using the media; gender.

So whether you are working on Third World debt, pollution,
transnational corporations, human rights issues, or protesting
against a local road-building plan, participating in A SEED
Europe can connect you up with others around Europe working on
the same issue, provide useful resources and contacts, and
benefit your work in many ways...

A SEED is open to any group or individual so why not find out
more?
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|Please always reply to: aseedeur@antenna.nl !!!!
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