Vote for Our Planet

The view from the depths of a recession is bleak, but a recovery will come.

Pundits and the world's media are trawling financial indicators looking for signs that the worst is over and green shoots are sprouting. The depth of our environmental crisis can also be read in indicators and harsh statistics - but without the sure and certain knowledge that the good times will come again.

Over the next few days countries across the European Union will be electing a new crop of Members of the European Parliament. How should the next Parliament be judged? By busted economies and the length of the gravy train, or by taking the chance to set an agenda for a truly environmental Parliament?

Back in 2001 the EU set itself the target of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010. The signs are strong that it will fail. Europe has not been short on environmental ambition and has some of the best and most effective policies anywhere in the world, but what it gives with one hand it takes with the other.

Reform of the many EU policies that damage biodiversity is essential; starting with the Common Agricultural Policy. Budgetary reform must enable the protection and management of the crown jewels of Europe's wildlife sites - the Natura 2000 network of protected sites.

Change is in the air; reform to benefit our natural environment is possible if the new European Parliament is bold and visionary. An early test will be the EU's performance at the Copenhagen climate summit in December 2009.

The costs of failure will be measured in the global environmental disaster inherited by our children. The prize for success is economies based on greater sustainability and efficient use of scarce resources.

Our next crop of European politicians will be elected in the teeth of serious political, economic, environmental and climatic storms - their leadership should use the momentum for reform to secure a safer and more sustainable future for Europe's nature as well as for its citizens.

Find out more by visiting www.rspb.org.uk/euroelections