Green Visions for Europe – a Preliminary Evaluation of Green Policy in the European Parliament

14.00 800x600 In February 2010, in the aftermath of the European elections, the European Union office of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung presented the publication “The Class of 2009 – Green Visions of Europe” (http://www.boell.eu/downloads/Class_of_2009_web.pdf) in which eleven new green Members of the European Parliament presented their hopes and aims for the next five years. The Greens had come out the real winners in the European elections; after all they were the only political group in the European Parliament that had managed to increase its number of seats. Serious challenges lay ahead: the tackling of climate change; the response to the financial and economic crisis; the expansion of the EU’s enlargement process; the development of a humane migration policy and the strengthening of the role of the EU as an actor in foreign and security policy, to name just a few.  What has happened to these hopes and aims during two years? The European Union office of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung has invited three of the then new Green MEPs to discuss their visions and experiences with three political analysts and an audience.  How much of their original green visions has been realised and what is left to do?