Euro-Maghreb frack-free network

Calling for a ban on all unconventional hydrocarbons and extractivism

United to denounce, in Europe and the Maghreb, the development of extreme fossil energy, dangerous for climate, environment and public health, and anti-democratic

We, representatives of grassroots groups and associations from 21¹ European and North African countries, nations and communities, met in Saint-Christol-lez- Alès (Gard, SE France) from March 7th to 9th 2014.

All of us are involved in the fight against the development of unconventional hydrocarbons² in our own countries and communities, as well as opposing other resource extraction activities. We are all facing the same issues, and we believe it is essential to strengthen the links between our struggles. The Korbach³ Declaration formulates the key demands which unite us.

Participants gave an alarming presentation of the situation in their respective countries. In that respect, we condemn in particular:

• Damage to the environment, public health and water resources;

• Disregard for environmental regulations on a national, European and North African level;

• Commodification and financialisation of territories;

• Violent police intervention, repeated violations of human rights and non-respect of the rights of local communities to decide their future, particularly in Poland, Romania, the UK, Ukraine, Tunisia and Morocco.

• The use of police forces by States to defend private interests.

• In addition, we call on international organisations and bodies to put an end to these violations immediately, and we demand that they force industrial players to restore environmentally degraded areas.

The free trade treaties, in place or under negotiation (the bilateral EU/USA (TAFTA), EU/Canada (CETA), EU/Maghreb treaties, etc.), risk outweighing the decision making power of States in favour of multinational corporations. By prioritising private interests through the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism (ISDS), they will defy the foundations of democracy, the precautionary principle, all environmental legislation and the independence of the judiciary.

As we stated last January in an open letter⁴addressed to the European Commission and signed by over 400 European groups, the progress achieved thanks to our mobilisation could be altogether undermined.

That is why we have decided on joint action aimed at mobilising the general public and at forcing European authorities to defend and strengthen the rights of populations and environmental legislation.

This meeting has let us actively strengthen Euro-North African cooperation in the struggle against extreme energy and the extractive industry. It has reaffirmed our international solidarity towards countries which are victim of intolerable attacks by industrial players. It has supported the development of a growing movement of citizens who are outraged by the submission of the political world to private interests.

Together, we are calling on our governments to implement, on a massive scale and without delay, an energy transition based on sufficiency and energy efficiency, the abandonment of fossil fuels and the development of renewable energies.

Finally, we wish to express our total solidarity with the activists who recently lost their lives, or their freedom, namely Eugeniy Kotlarl⁵ (Ukraine), Omar Moujane, Brahim El Hamdaoui, Abdessamad Madri⁶ (Imider – Morocco).

In addition, all of the European and North African countries here present jointly state:

There are alternatives to hydrocarbons.

Let’s leave the old-fashioned model of production and the extractive frenzy behind us!

NO TO SHALE AND COAL BED HYDROCARBONS,

NOT HERE NOT ANYWHERE, NOT NOW NOT EVER

New York Times has a front-page story reporting on a major push in the Obama administration and by Speaker Boehner to increase exports of fracked gas in response to the crisis in the Ukraine. While events there are certainly disturbing, they should not be used as an excuse for ramping up dirty gas exports that will harm communities air, water and health in the United States.

According to the Times, a major push to export dirty fracked gas is underway, led by “major oil and gas producers like ExxonMobil and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill.” Just last Tuesday, Speaker John Boehner called on President Obama to “dramatically expedite the approval of U.S. exports of natural gas.”

Yet according to the Times, the administration is already moving to advance a “State Department initiative to export American natural gas to Europe as a lever against Russia.”

One of the craziest things about this, is that the U.S. currently does not have the capacity to export large amounts of natural gas overseas, and so the claim that building out infrastructure to export fracked gas would help with the current crisis in Ukraine is just disingenuous. Long term, we need to invest in sustainable renewable energy, at home and abroad.

ExxonMobil should not be controlling our foreign policy, and we should not be sacrificing communities across the United States for illusory and short-term foreign policy objectives.

As a movement, we have made tremendous progress, but if the oil and gas industry get their way, ramped-up exports would drive even more fracking. Ironically, as fracking accounts for a large amount of climate pollution, increasing exports and accelerating fracking will actually lead to more long-term instability and global security issues.

Food & Water Watch