By Gerda Minkjan

On a rainy and cold spring Friday Green Members of the European Parliament Bas Eickhout and Sven Giegold got together with our Dutch and German politicians and members of nature protection organizations and pressure groups to discuss the runway expansion of FMO and the latest plan for Airport Twente.

Sadly most politicians on both sides of the Dutch-German border claim both airports have a right to exist and expand for economic reasons and employment. What they rather not tell is that figures about passengers have always been over-optimistic: only 1,2 to 1,5 million passengers a year have shown up at FMO instead of the predicted 4 or 5 million.

FMO

After informal introductions in front of the terminal at FMO the group takes a look at the beautiful meandering brook nearby FMO; the Eltingmühlenbach. We visit a beautiful spot South of the runway, where we admire the slowly meandering “Bach” that looks more like a small river. We stand in a beautiful landscape of rolling hills, fields and woods. Every five minutes or so we hear the roaring sounds of air planes landing or taking off. While we chatt about the runway expansion someone jokes:

“If the runway expansion would be 400 meters longer even a space shuttle could land here.”

Then we walk to the spot West of the runway where the runway expansion is planned. We are informed by NABU about the plans to cover the brook with a 40 meter long construction with a “roof” of glass stones. Deep below us runs the threatened Eltingmühlenbach, its neighbouring tree tops rigorously chopped off “for safety reasons.” It’s obvious why the expansion of the runway will coast so much: a great stretch of land will have to be elevated.

Landing planes now interrupt our conversations.

Nature protection organisations worry about the measures to cover the brook. The kingfisher for example might not survive there once the gigantic construction is in place. Sven Giegold and Bas Eickhout ask questions and they really do seem to know what they are talking about. That sure feels good.

Back at FMO a bus awaits us to drive us to Airport Twente. We collect some more people in Steinfurt.

Airport Twente

In the meantime at Airport Twente Dutch politicians, members of nature protection organizations and pressure groups have gathered to meet their German “colleagues” and the two very capable and very Green MEP’s. After coffee and tea in the airport restaurant we form a circle in the car park where some of us tell why they don’t want this runway expansion of FMO and Airport Twente to be built. The Dutch and the German stories are remarkably similar: the bigger the plans, the bigger the lies.

Once the Provincial Parliament in Zwolle (Overijssel) decides to give the (not so) green light for the latest Airport Twente-plan on June 16^th 2010 Bas Eickhout will do all he can for us as an MEP in Brussels. But of course we all hope that all our efforts to influence these politicians will pay off before that and they will vote against this ridiculous plan. Then the green heart between Enschede, Hengelo and Oldenzaal can finally rest in peace.

Sven Giegold’s observations gave us something to think about. Yes, it is truly amazing how lots of politicians plan all kinds of things in rural and green areas and how this leads to urbanization. The Green parties attract more and more voters from threatened areas. These people have come to realize that their surroundings are in dire need of protection. Before the bus leaves from Airport Twente we all share information and contact addresses. We are united now and thus even better prepared for what is to come. We’ll definitely meet again. Hopefully in better weather conditions…

By Peter Alberts

At the core of the actions are the enlargement of the Münster-Osnabrück Airport  (FMO) and the planned construction of the Airport Twente/Enschede on the site of a former military air base. With today’s actions we want to protest once again against the destruction of nature and landscape and the inadequate business case of both plans.

We’ll meet at 10.30 h at the main entrance of the FMO (new K1 motorway exit) for a press conference, followed by a walk of appr. 2 hours through a nature reserve threatened by the planned expansion.

Around 13 h we’ll leave and travel per bus to Twente, where we’ll talk to the media on the parking lot in front of the airport entrance. Local and regional Green politicians will join us there, as well as residents of the area and conservationists. After another walk through endangered nature the German delegation will take the bus home.

Looking forward to meeting you

Sven Giegold, Bas Eickhout

Is it really necessary that the track goes though Groesbeek? What do surrounding municipalities think about this track? What are the opportunities and threats? What research is being done? What are the international implications of this track? Speakers from both sides of the borders will try to answers these questions, such as the mayor of Kranenburg, members of the city council of Kranenburg and Kleve and many more

Monday 19 April 20:00 hours in De Mallemolen, Kloosterstraat 11, Groesbeek.  Location open from 19:30 hours

More information is available on the website of Groenlinks Groesbeek

By Gerda Minkjan

Enschede started the ‘Vliegwiel Twente Maatschappij’ (VTM) to explore the possibilities for a commercial airport. This organisation has interpreted lots of data and research, but was accused of being incapable and even deliberately misinterpreting the results. They were not only criticized by renowned scientists and experts, but also by green- and socialist politicians, environmental- and nature organisations and the “neighbours”; the people who will suffer most from the noise and the pollution.

So far, no proprietor has come forward to run this airport, but they want to lure interested parties to Enschede by providing for the complete infrastructure (i.e. expanding the runway so also Boeing 747’s (freight!) can use the airport) and by building an industrial estate and anything else that can generate money. Suggested opening times are from 6 in the morning till 11 in the evening, every day of the year. Thus a wonderful and necessary green area between the cities of Hengelo, Oldenzaal and Enschede will be destroyed forever.

Alternative plans

A number of organisations have had the possibility to work on an alternative plan. The result was a care & cure, wellness & leisure estate, designed by SAVT (Stichting Alternatieven Vliegveld Twente). Sadly they had to hand this plan over to VTM and (as we all feared) the result was that it didn’t get the same treatment as the airport plan and was dismissed.

Organisations involved, like Stichting Hart van Twente, Stichting Lonneker Land, Bewonersbelangen Groot Driene and VOLT (Vereniging Omwonenden Vliegveld Twente) are now at a loss. We are not participating anymore but are now just being informed.

We still try to inform and influence politicians. Sadly, the biggest political parties, who suffered massive losses in the last elections, are trying to restore themselves by preaching employment. Airport Twente is supposed to generate 2700 jobs, but what they don’t tell is the loss of jobs elsewhere, like in tourism, and the fact that most of these jobs are just companies moving from one industrial estate to the other, so they are not talking about new jobs.

Cross border cooperation

In our Euregio, the German cities and citizens were badly informed (and often too late) about the plans for Airport Twente. Especially the cities Bad Bentheim and Nordhorn will be hit by the impact of a commercial airport just across the border. Bad Bentheim is a well known spa and fears less tourists will come and visit once Airport Twente is operational. Nordhorn already suffers from the Nordhorn Range, where the air force is practising dropping bombs, and fears they will have no peace at all anymore when the noise and pollution will double.

Another interesting fact is that the Euregio already has a commercial airport: FMO (Flughafen Münster Osnabrück). VTM states that 2 airports can exist in this area, but scientists and experts are warning that both airports will only suffer losses.

The Dutch and the German organisations fighting against Airport Twente have found each other a few years ago and have been co-operating since then. There has already been a demonstration in Nordhorn and a manifestation in Enschede. Last year we walked 40 beautiful green and still tranquil kilometres from Bad Bentheim to the City Hall of Enschede. We had permission to walk over the runway and were complimented because we ‘behaved’ ourselves.

Last February, we had our first ‘international’ party in an old school house in Holt und Haar, practically on the border. We keep each other informed, have regular meetings and accompany each other to official occasions. First we were neighbours, now we are friends.

More information : Bürgerinitiative Gegen Flughafen Twente

Source photo: http://yuriankone.blogspot.com/

Brussels, 31 January – If Écolo and Groen! have their way, said Annemie Maes, chair of Groen! in the Brussels regional  parliament during the opening session of Heerlen 8, the annual meeting of European Green Grassroots, Brussels will soon be a shining example of Green Europeanism.  The Welsh and Flemish Green parties, represented in the regional government with three ministers, are the only ones cooperating across the language border that splits both capital and country in two. And they are determined to make Brussels ‘the ecological capital of Europe’ and ‘a real European capital for all the people who live there, not only  for those  speaking French or Dutch’. (report by Peter Alberts, Ge).