Before revealing the above data any comment suggesting secret opposition of official governments to environmental projects would be presented as groundless accusations coming from extreme eco-activists. But is a fact…In 1971, a secret group of developed countries, known as the “Brussels Group” was formed in order to limit the effectiveness of UN’s first conference for the environment, held in 1972 in Stockholm, which had as result to set up the UN environmental program (UNEP).

Members of this unholy alliance included Britain, Germany, Italy, France, US and Belgium and first meeting took place one year before Stockholm conference in July 1971. According to the archives of the meeting, the Group would function as “an unofficial policy-making body to concert the views of the principal governments concerned…” also the Group would have to “remain informal and confidential”.

The goals

If a prehistory of the reasons leading to the Anti-glob movement creation was about to be written, the principal goals of Brussels Group could surely be contained in Chapter One. The group’s most important concern was that any UN’s environmental regulations would restrict free trade development and, as consequence, the raging economy of the developed countries. Main pursuit also was to stop UNEP from having a large budget. The sad think is that the documents revealed, mention the “made a real progress on this difficult problem” but without mentioning how.

The archives of one of the many meetings, in Geneva, Dec. 1971, gives a better clue how these governments intended to limit the gravity of the conference for the environment and any chance for action that could burden them. It is mentioned clearly as a goal the diplomatic jockeying in Stockholm, in order to “be less worried about making it a success for developing countries”

The documents revealed mention also specific goals of Britain, which were to “avoid a new and expensive international organization” (meaning UNEP), which “would not be welcome but is probably inevitable”. Also, British Govs were opposed to any international standards regulating environmental quality or polluting emissions that might force Britain in long-term expensive adjustments.

It couldn’t be ignored of course the main reason of Britain’s position was the measures that could be taken against the use of the supersonic airliner Concorde which would seriously damage the economics of the Anglo-French airline.

Its opinion for an international legislation of ecological conscience is clearly declared in the hidden archives where is said, “Universal guidelines…could cause moral pressure for compliance with philosophies of doubtful validity or benefit…”

30 years after

The revealing of this secret group’s action has explained the primal one-sided point of view of the very first conference for the environment. Though, Brussels Group despite of its efforts, not many of their goals were achieved and that is mostly due to other kind of pressure and less because of any eco-ethics on behalf of the member countries.





The meaning of all the above makes rather easier the comprehension of failures in conferences like the one in Rio or Kyoto and Sydney. Agreements and disagreements, change of route and secret bargains on environmental policy’s back. All these can be well grounded having in mind the governmental behavior of developed countries. It’s obvious that such facts demonstrate the real cruel functions of the state and its real sensitivity, ending where loss of profit begins and it could surely justify many actions and practices turning against indifference when facing the disaster. The one integrated with governmental stamps.

As something last. Environmentalism perhaps means a few to many and that’s rather because we are adjusted in every day in more and more tight conditions with the exchange of a narcotic-like, urban conformism. A terrible change is happening to the world. You can smell it in the air, you can see it on earth and water. We face perdition, slowly and continually. We can feel it day by day. Unfortunately now more than ever activation is needed. Individual and collective. Simple, there are not going to be many more 30 years after