Euro Left MEPs Plea on Behalf of Rossport 5

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Wednesday July 13, 2005 10:22 by europhile

Members of the European Left/Nordic Greens have requested the Chairperson of a delegation to Norway from the Parliament to ask the Norwegian Government to instruct Statoil to use its influence to stop all activity on the pipeline pending an agreement that addresses the concerns of the imprisoned men.

Mrs Diana Wallis
Chairwoman

EEA/SIN

Dear Mrs Wallis

Last week five farmers from Rossport in County Mayo were imprisoned for contempt of court in a dispute with  Corrib Gas , a conglomerate made up of Shell, Marathon and Statoil.

The company wants to install a gas pipeline on agricultural land owned by the farmers. Due to Health and Safety concerns the farmers in question are unwilling to allow the work to proceed, which has led to them being jailed on foot of an injunction sought by the company.

As Statoil is a Norwegian state owned company, we the undersigned members of EEA/SIN call on you as Chairwoman, to use your influence by writing formally to the Norwegian Government requesting that it instruct Statoil to freeze the project  until such time as agreement has been reached on the farmers' concerns.

Yours sincerely

MARY LOU McDONALD MEP
JONAS SJÔSTEDT MEP