In total 640 candidates, across all 28 EU Member States and political groups, signed WWF s pledge.

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2 In the run-up to the European elections, WWF launched an online pledge ep2014.wwf.eu for all candidates to show their commitment to protect our environment and health, as well as create jobs and a stronger economy, if elected as Members of the European Parliament on May In total 640 candidates, across all 28 EU Member States and political groups, signed WWF s pledge. With the results of the elections public, 132 elected candidates now MEPs from 19 EU countries and 60 different political parties have signed WWF s pledge. WWF trusts that these 132 MEPs will work to deliver the environmental, economic and social changes Europe needs during this Parliament s term. WWF will approach these MEPs both in their constituency and Brussels to collaborate with them, as well as all other supportive MEPs to progress the key EU policy priorities over the next 5 years. In the following analysis we take an in-depth look at which specific environmental policies the 132 MEPs have pledged to support, as well as their demographics and political affiliations. This will give us an early indication of how European and national parties might vote in the next five years when it comes to environmental issues and it helps us understand how we can best work together to guarantee that environmental protection stays at the top of Europe s political agenda. Introduction... 2 The pledge... 3 Who pledged... 4 Political affiliations... 5 Specific commitments... 7 List of MEP pledgers

3 Election candidates across Europe were contacted by both WWF and voters asking them to pledge for at least one of the nine policy goals identified by WWF as essential to reduce Europe s global footprint in the next five years (see below). The nine environmental policy goals were further detailed in both a summary and detailed manifesto which WWF developed for the EU elections. WWF s manifesto is available on: In addition to the nine policy goals, candidates also had the possibility of filling out a tenth pledge which they chose themselves. The pledge was promoted in 10 different languages 1 by WWF offices all over Europe. Voters across Europe had the opportunity to see online and ahead of the European elections which of their national candidates had already pledged, and could contact their political groups via and twitter asking them to support the pledge. More than s and tweets have been sent to different political groups. An online video titled If you care, they will care was created to further highlight the importance of Europe for people s health and the environment and invite people to choose candidates who will care about their interests. 1 The languages offered were English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Slovenian, Croatian and Dutch. 3

4 The 132 elected MEPs who pledged for the environment come from 19 different EU Member States and 60 national political parties. The country with the highest number of supportive MEPs is Germany, with 29 MEPs (30% of all German MEPs). Country Pledges Total MEPs Ratio Germany % France % Italy % Sweden % United Kingdom % Belgium % Netherlands % Denmark % Spain % Croatia % Portugal % Slovenia % Finland % Romania % Czech Republic % Luxembourg % Austria % Ireland % Hungary % 67% of them are returning MEPs from the term. Returning MEPs signing the pledge tend to come from across the political spectrum, with less of an over representation of Green members, compared to the total number of candidates that signed the pledge. 52% of elected MEPs that signed the WWF pledge are women. This is higher than the overall percentage of women in the European Parliament, which stands at 37% for the legislature. 4

5 Distribution of pledges per European political group 2 The S&D accounts for the highest number of MEPs that pledged, with 45 elected candidates committing to support environmental policies. MEPs affiliated with centre-right European Political Groups such as EPP, ALDE and ECR have been pledging the least, accounting together for only 21% of total candidates pledging. Newly elected MEPs from parties that did not previously have a seat in the European Parliament, or have not been affiliated to any European Political Group, account for roughly 13% of total MEPs pledging. All of these parties have now joined established political groups in the Parliament. Proportionately to the size of the European Political Group, the Greens/EFA has the largest percentage (70%) of its MEPs supporting the WWF pledge. 2 Based on information available on last consulted on 26 June

6 Share of MEPs supporting the WWF pledge 3 (per European Political Group) 7% 24% 16% 3% 70% 25% 19% 3 Based on information available on last consulted on 12 June

7 82% of the MEPs that pledged support all 9 policy goals. The remaining 18% identified water protection and climate change as the most important policy goals they will work on. 28% of all elected candidates that pledged decided to add one or more additional policy goals they would like the EU to work on in the next five years. Some of the most popular owninitiative pledges include: - Improving animal welfare standards. - Reducing air pollution and improving air quality. - Forbidding the extraction of natural gas by hydraulic fracturing. - Banning GMOs from our food chain. 7

8 * Returning MEPs Austria Ms Ulrike Lunacek* Austria Greens/EFA Belgium Ms Marie Arena Belgium S&D Mr Ivo Belet* Belgium EPP Mr Philippe Lamberts* Belgium Greens/EFA Mr Claude Rolin Belgium EPP Mr Bart Staes* Belgium Greens/EFA Ms Kathleen Van Brempt* Belgium S&D Croatia Ms Biljana Borzan* Croatia S&D Ms Marijana Petir Croatia EPP

9 Mr Jozo Radoš Croatia S&D Ms Ruža Tomašić* Croatia EPP Czech Republic Mr Pavel Poc* Czech Republic S&D Denmark Ms Margrete Auken* Denmark Greens/EFA Mr Ole Christensen* Denmark S&D Ms Rina Ronja Kari* Denmark GUE-NGL Mr Jeppe Kofod Denmark S&D Ms Christel Schaldemose* Denmark S&D Mr Anders Primdahl Vistisen Denmark EFDD Finland Ms Heidi Hautala Finland Greens/EFA Ms Merja Kyllönen Finland GUE-NGL

10 Ms Sirpa Pietikaïnen* Finland EPP France Mr Eric Andrieu* France S&D Mr Guillaume Balas* France S&D Ms Pervenche Beres* France S&D Mr José Bové* France Greens/EFA Mr Alain Cadec* France EPP Ms Marielle De Sarnez* France ALDE Ms Karima Delli* France Greens/EFA Mr Jean-Paul Denanot* France S&D Mr Pascal Durand France Greens/EFA Ms Sylvie Goulard* France ALDE Ms Nathalie Griesbeck* France ALDE Ms Françoise Grossetête* France EPP Ms Sylvie Guillaume* France S&D Mr Yannick Jadot* France Greens/EFA

11 Ms Eva Joly* France Greens/EFA Mr Alain Lamassoure* France EPP Mr Edouard Martin France S&D + Mr Emmanuel Maurel France S&D Mr Jean-Luc Mélenchon* France GUE-NGL Mr Maurice Ponga* France EPP Ms Michèle Rivasi* France Greens/EFA Ms Isabelle Thomas* France S&D Germany Mr Jan Philipp Albrecht* Germany Greens/EFA Mr Reinhard Bütikofer* Germany Greens/EFA + Mr Michael Cramer* Germany Greens/EFA Mr Fabio De Masi Germany GUE-NGL Ms Cornelia Ernst* Germany GUE-NGL Mr Ismail Ertug* Germany S&D Mr Knut Fleckenstein* Germany S&D

12 Ms Evelyne Gebhardt* Germany S&D Mr Sven Giegold* Germany Greens/EFA Mr Matthias Groote* Germany S&D Ms Rebecca Harms* Germany Greens/EFA Mr Martin Häusling* Germany Greens/EFA Ms Petra Kammerevert* Germany S&D Ms Ska Keller* Germany Greens/EFA Ms Constanze Krehl* Germany S&D Mr Jo Leinen* Germany S&D Ms Barbara Lochbihler* Germany Greens/EFA Ms Sabine Lösing* Germany GUE-NGL Ms Gesine Meißner* Germany ALDE Ms Martina Michels Germany GUE-NGL Ms Maria Noichl Germany S&D Ms Gabriele Preuß Germany S&D Ms Julia Reda Germany Others Ms Terry Reintke Germany Greens/EFA

13 Ms Ulrike Rodust* Germany S&D Mr Joachim Schuster Germany S&D Ms Helga Trüpel* Germany Greens/EFA Mr Jakob von Weizsäcker Germany S&D Ms Gabi Zimmer* Germany GUE-NGL Hungary Mr. Benedek Jávor Hungary Greens/EFA Ireland Ms Liadh Ní Riada Ireland GUE-NGL Italy Ms Isabella Adinolfi Italy EFDD Mr Marco Affronte Italy EFDD Ms Daniela Aiuto Italy EFDD Ms Tiziana Beghin Italy EFDD

14 Mr Brando Benifei Italy S&D Mr Fabio Massimo Castaldo Italy EFDD Mr Sergio Cofferati* Italy S&D Mr Ignazio Corrao Italy EFDD Mr Andrea Cozzolino* Italy S&D Ms Isabella De Monte* Italy S&D Ms Laura Ferrara Italy EFDD Ms Eleonora Forenza Italy GUE-NGL Mr Giovanni Pitella* Italy S&D Ms Elly Schlein Italy S&D Mr Dario Tamburrano Italy EFDD Mr Daniele Viotti Italy S&D Mr Marco Zullo Italy EFDD Luxembourg Mr Claude Turmes* Luxembourg Greens/EFA

15 Netherlands Mr Bas Eickhout* Netherlands Greens/EFA Mr Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy* Netherlands ALDE Ms Anja Hazekamp Netherlands GUE-NGL Ms Sophie in 't Veld* Netherlands ALDE Ms Judith Sargentini* Netherlands Greens/EFA Mr Paul Tang Netherlands S&D Portugal Mr Jose Inacio Faria Portugal ALDE Ms Ana Gomes* Portugal S&D Mr António Marinho e Pinto Portugal ALDE Romania Mr Theodor Dumitru Stolojan * Romania EPP Ms Renate Weber* Romania EPP

16 Slovenia Mr Franc Bogovič Slovenia EPP Ms Tanja Fajon* Slovenia S&D + Mr Alojz Peterle* Slovenia EPP Spain Ms María Dolores Sánchez Caldentey Spain GUE-NGL Mr Pablo Echenique-Robba Spain GUE-NGL Mr Ramon Tremosa* Spain ALDE Mr Ernest Urtasun Spain Greens/EFA Ms Elena Valenciano Spain S&D Sweden Mr Max Andersson Sweden Greens/EFA + + Ms Malin Björk* Sweden GUE-NGL Ms Bodil Ceballos Sweden Greens/EFA Ms Anna Maria Corazza Bildt* Sweden EPP

17 Mr Fredrick Federley Sweden ALDE Mr Christofer Fjellner* Sweden EPP Ms Jytte Guteland Sweden S&D Mr Gunnar Hökmark* Sweden EPP Ms Isabella Lövin* Sweden Greens/EFA Ms Soraya Post Sweden S&D Ms Marita Ulvskog* Sweden S&D Ms Cecilia Wikström* Sweden ALDE United Kingdom Ms Jill Evans* United Kingdom Greens/EFA Ms Vicky Ford* United Kingdom ECR Mr Richard Howitt* United Kingdom S&D Mr Ian Hudghton* United Kingdom Greens/EFA Ms Jean Lambert* United Kingdom Greens/EFA Ms Linda McAvan* United Kingdom S&D Mr Alyn Smith* United Kingdom Greens/EFA

18 Mr Keith Taylor* United Kingdom Greens/EFA Mr Derek Vaughan* United Kingdom S&D

19 For further information: Tycho Vandermaesen Public Affairs Officer WWF European Policy Office +32(0) Rebecca Humphries Public Affairs Assistant WWF European Policy Office 1986 Panda Symbol WWF - World Wide Fund For Nature (Formerly World Wildlife Fund) WWF is a WWF Registered Trademark. EU Transparency Register Nr: Printed on recycled paper.