Environmental Manifesto for the 2004 European Elections

The European Parliament is the only body of the European Union directly representing EU citizens. Over the past decade, the Parliament has assumed an increasingly important role in the EU decision-making process.

However, large sections of the public are either ignorant or sceptical of the Parliament’s work. In 1999, this led to worryingly low turnouts at the European elections. Such low election turnouts mean that the Parliament has not realised its full potential for influence.

The 2004 elections provide an important opportunity for politicians to increase citizens’ support for the European Parliament. Political parties and candidates can present their views and policies on the issues on which the European Parliament has the power to make a difference. They can clarify what the European Parliament can do for the EU citizen in concrete terms.