European Green Party/EFGPaisbl

7th COUNCIL MEETING

Vienna, 12-14th October 2007

Adopted resolution

Laws must also be respected by the Ministry of Defense

In a resolution drawn during its Council Meeting held in Helsinki on May 5-6, 2006, the European Green Party condemned the building of a military surveillance tower on illegally occupied private forestlands on Kánya Hill in the Zemplén highlands of Hungary.

When the government of a young democracy fails to uphold the rule of law, written and unwritten, it impacts on every European citizen. When the interests of the international military industry are served unreservedly by such a government, it effectively nullifies every other national constitution, European public interest, and the laws that guarantee them.

On a level of European importance, the exploitation of Kánya Hill for military purposes illustrates a peoples rights to a healthy environment and regional self-determination . It follows that the EGP feels a special obligation to do everything in its power to resolve this issue through democratic and constitutional means.

Considering the above, we call on the Hungarian government to:

1./ Disclose the true purpose of the tower to the  public, whilst respecting all classified NATO confidentiality  agreements

2./ Disclose publicly, any information that can not be classified as confidential for the national interest.

3./Pursue all zoning and construction procedures according to civil, rather than military, regulations.

4./ (a) Initiate the necessary investigations to identify and assign  liability for all illegal actions, incurred damage, and expected  damage caused by public bodies and the institution responsible for  the construction.

(b) Decide about the fate of the tower, including  its potential dismantlement and the return of the land to its  original condition or the potential temporary maintenance of the tower. If the tower is maintained, steps must be taken to compensate for any environmental damage and prevent further damage. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that the tower site is in the  buffer zone of the NATURA 2000 Zemplén Regional Landscape Protection Area.

4./ (a) Initiate all the necessary investigations to identify and  assign liability for all illegal actions, any damage incurred, and  anticipated damage caused by public bodies and the institution  responsible for the construction.

(b) Decide the fate of the tower, including future dismantling and restoring the land to its original condition. If the tower is to be maintained, steps must be taken to make compensation for any environmental damage and the prevention of further damage.

Particular attention should be paid to the fact that the tower site is in the buffer zone of the NATURA 2000 Zemplén  Regional Landscape Protection Area.

5./ Ensure adequate compensation for local communities and support  for regional development plans that protect natural, architectural, and cultural heritage of the area and that contributes to the  prosperity of the local population