France's Jospin urges energy conservation
Copyright 2000, United Press International
September 11, 2000
In a bid to appease environmentalists in his own coalition government, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin announced today a massive new program of energy conservation. The announcement of the program by Jospin's office in Paris — originally sought by his Green Party cabinet member Environment Minister Dominique Voynet — comes after Jospin made major concessions to truckers and farmers ending diesel fuel tax protests nationwide.
Green Party members were furious with the Socialist-led Jospin government handling of the protests that resulted in blockading all French oil refineries and fuel depots. Jospin had agreed to substantial fuel tax cuts, which ecologists and greens generally opposed.
Announcing his energy conservation program, Jospin's statement said the rising oil prices had "sometimes harshly affected certain sectors." And he added, "Saving consumption of fossil fuels constitutes not just a major contribution to fighting the greenhouse affect but is also a major contribution to maintaining strong and durable growth." Details of the Jospin plan are still murky.
But the Jospin statement said Jospin would work to implement "global level programs in favor of energy savings and promoting alternative energy sources." Without describing specifics, he said of his plan, "at Mrs. Dominique Voynet's suggestion, I would like an energy savings program to be established by the end of the year which will bear on all areas of economic activity."
The truckers, farmers, taxi and ambulance drivers, and bus and barge drivers ended their blockade Sunday of 60 refineries in France — tearing down barricades which had produced fuel shortages nationwide. The government agreed to a 35 centimes cut in the fuel tax this year and another 25 centimes cut next year.
Meanwhile, protests similar to what France endured appear in the making or already underway elsewhere in Europe.
Hundreds of angry Belgian truck drivers blocked avenues in Brussels Monday for a second day — promising to stay until the government meets their demand for fuel tax cuts.
The action in Belgium is expected to spread to Liege and the northern port of Antwerp.
Irish truckers have informed their government of a deadline of this afternoon to respond to their demands for fuel tax cuts or face nationwide protests. The Irish Road Haulage Association, speaking for some 1,200 of the 4,000 truckers nationwide, is demanding a 20 percent cut in duty on diesel. And in Britain, some gasoline stations have already been emptied by panic buying after truckers blocked one oil refinery, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation.
German truckers are also on the move threatening nationwide motorway and road blockades after Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's coalition rejected calls for cuts in the fuel tax.
Germany's director of the road haulers association in Lower Saxony, Bernward Franzky, told German ZDF Television:
"Whole autobahns risk being brought to a standstill. The situation is getting out of control."
German truck drivers disrupted traffic during the weekend in the north German town of Hildesheim for several hours and in the town of Uelzen in the same region.
German truckers want a 20 percent cut in state diesel taxes to compensate the soaring price of crude oil.
Italian fishermen occupied quays around the country and warned the government they would blockade ports if it refused to reduce duties on the fuel they use.
Also this weekend, the Italian Treasury Minister, Vincenzo Visco, said his government would extend a temporary tax break on petrol, but didn't say how long the discount would last.