GLOBE Europe started as an offshoot of GLOBE EU in 1994, initially focused on helping national parliamentarians of the 10 candidate countries to EU membership which joined the EU in 2004 to assimilate the acquis communautaire (EU law) in the field of environment policy.

Since then, the goal of GLOBE Europe has been to help national parliamentarians interested in the wider environmental protection agenda keep abreast of policy developments at EU level, and stimulate them to engage pro-actively in the formulation of EU policies in their national legislatures, through whatever means their constitutional framework may put at their disposal.

The Weekly EU Policy Update is a service freely offered by the Joint Secretariat to all parliamentarians of the European region. It currently reaches out to some 1,500 parliamentarians from the 27 EU member states and from Norway, Iceland, Turkey, FYROM, Moldova and Croatia. GLOBE Europe has also got over 250 contacts in environmental NGOs, ministries, industry, business and scientific institutions.

The Board (as of 29 October 2011)

President:

Steen Gade MP, Chair of the Energy and Climate Committee of the Danish Parliament (Greens)

Vice-Presidents:

Michael Kauch MP, FDP Bundestag Spokesman on Environment, President of GLOBE Germany

Petra Bayr MP, Chair of the Development Committee of the Austrian Federal Parliament

Konstantinos Kartalis MP, Chair of the Environment Committee of the Hellenic Parliament (PASOK)

Barry Gardiner MP, Labour Special Envoy on Climate and the Environment

Alessandro Bratti MP, Member of the Environment Committee of the Italian Camera dei Deputati (Partito Democratico)

National Focal Points

The National Focal Points keep the Joint Secretariat aware of the interests and sensitivities of national parliaments on topical policy subjects with an EU dimension, and eventually organise national parliamentary hearings on EU policy proposals under discussion in Brussels with the support of the Secretariat. Also, they meet their GLOBE counterparts at the European parliament and in other national parliaments at Strategy Meetings on a regular basis:

2009 Strategy Meeting Conclusions

2010 Strategy Meeting Conclusions

2011 Strategy Meeting Presentations and Documents

The Focal Points convey the initiatives of the GLOBE community to their fellow parliamentarians in their respective legislatures. They also receive frequent invitations as speakers at high-level conferences organised by the wider environmental policy community in Brussels and elsewhere.

Being a members-only, members-lead organisation, we are keen to respect the traditions and political culture of the legislatures in which we are present: in some countries our Focal Point is the Chairman of the Environment Committee, in some he or she belongs to the party in government; in others they belong to a minority party. Similarly, being a full member of a Standing Environment Committee is not a pre-condition for being an active Member or a National Focal Point of GLOBE Europe.

AT: Petra Bayr MP, Chair of the Development Committee, SPÖ

BE: Thérèse Snoy MP, Chair of the Environment Committee of the Federal Parliament, Green Party

EE: Karel Rüütli MP, Environment Spokesman, Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioon

FR: Serge Grouard MP, Chair of the Environment Committee, UMP; Philippe Tourtelier MP, Environment Spokesman, Socialist Party

IT: Senator Roberto Della Seta, Environment Spokesman, Democratic Party

IS: Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir MP, Socialist Party

HU: Andor Nagy MP, Vice-Chair of the Sustainable Development Committee (EPP)

LI: Jonas Simenas MP, Chair of the Environment Committee, EPP

NL: Stientje van Veldhoven MP, D-66 (ALDE)

SV: Lars Tysklind, Chair of GLOBE Sweden, Liberal Party (ALDE)

SLO: Milenko Ziherl MP, Chair of the Environment Committee, Chair of GLOBE Slovenia (EPP)

TK: Haluk Özdalga MP, Chair of the Environment Committee, Justice and Development Party