Environmental Pillar has a role to play in Europe

THE Environmental Pillar would like to respond to your highly critical, one-sided report on the appointment of an environmental representative to the European Economic and Social Committee (‘EU appointment of bird watcher angers farmers’, July 6).

As a social partner, the Environmental Pillar is entitled to a place on the committee, along with representatives of the other pillars. We elected Siobhán Egan of BirdWatch Ireland to be our representative. This is one of the 27 member organisations of Environmental Pillar, but your report did not make this clear. What is clear, however, is that Ireland stands to gain economically as a result of the inclusion of the Environmental Pillar on the EESC. To date, there has been an absence of environmental expertise in many of the issues facing Europe — climate change, biodiversity loss and the energy crisis. Many jobs will be created, especially in rural areas, if Ireland rises to these challenges.

From the environmental perspective there is no urban/rural divide when it comes to access to clean air and water, healthy soils and biodiversity. Sustainable farming and sustainable rural communities are in all our interests.