27 September 2006 - Airports across the UK looks set to be exempt from air quality laws designed to save lives and improve health, paving the way to their further expansion – thanks to an amendment supported by the UK Tories.

Euro-MPs yesterday resisted Green calls and voted to weaken and relax the EU’s role in preventing pollution from industry and exhaust fumes – and airport expansion. As well as increasing the number of days in which the rules can be breached in any year, and adopting pollution standards even lower than in parts of the US, the decision will mean existing air quality rules will not come into force before 2013.

Green Party MEP for South-East England Caroline Lucas said: “This decision taken yesterday is absolutely disastrous for human health and the environment. Some 350,000 people die each year as a direct result of air pollution, and yesterday’s vote means the EU won’t do anything about it until 2013 at the earliest – by which two million more will have died.”

In some cases British MEPs voted to delay and weaken air quality legislation – and in others they failed to influence their political colleagues to do so too. This is in direct contradiction of their parties’ stated position on the environment here in the UK . Five Lib-Dems and 21 of the UK ’s 23 Tory MEPs present voted to exempt roads and industrial installations – including airports – from the rules.

Dr Lucas added: “This shameful behaviour demonstrates the yawning gap between rhetoric and reality in the Tory and Lib-Dem approaches to the environment.

“While their party conferences are busy discussing ways to persuade voters they’ve ‘gone green’, their MEPs in Brussels are busy voting to limit the scope of environmental legislation that could block future expansion at Heathrow and airports up and down the country.

“It’s a good job we’ve got Green Party MEPs to offer a consistent approach – and try to protect those living near roads and airports from the pollution that is killing thousands – and making countless more people ill – year in year out.”

ENDS