The trend to deplete our urban green space, the lungs of our cities,is dangerous for our health and for our quality of life. The Society for the Protection of Urban Green Space lobbies for legislation to protect all urban green space including public parks and gardens, sports fields, allotments, children’s playgrounds and playing fields and also to guarantee continued public access to these areas.

It will only be possible to launch the first European Citizens' Initiatives from 1 April 2012 - See
Newsletter - June 2011 (pdf file)

Newsletter - January 2011 (pdf file)

On 15 December 2010 the European Parliament agreed a set of rules to govern the implementation of the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) that will be formally adopted in a few weeks time. The legislation on the European Citizens' Initiative will come into force one year after it has been published in the Official Journal. The launch of the first citizens' initiatives will probably be possible from the beginning of 2012.

Further information on the regulations that will govern ECIs is available on the websites listed below: http://www.epc.eu/documents/uploads/pub_1203_the_european_citizens_initiative.pdf http://www.euractiv.com/en/pa/european-citizens-initiative-next-step-implementation-analysis-500714 http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/politics-laws.7o2/ www.citizens-initiative.eu.

You can find the name of your MEP at: http://www.europarl.org.uk/section/your-meps/your-meps

Amendments to SPUGS Constitution made at the 2010 AGM

The implications of the Green Paper outlining the proposed regulations to govern European Citizens' Initiatives were discussed and as a consequence of these proposals and the probable outcome of the Plenary Session of the European Parliament to be held at the end of November 2010 it was unanimously agreed to amend paragraphs 2, 3a and 3b of the Constitution of The Society for the Protection of Urban Green Space to read as follows:

2. MAIN OBJECTIVE: To obtain legislation to protect all urban green space including public parks and gardens, sports fields, allotments, children's playgrounds and playing fields and also to guarantee continued public access to these areas.

3. SUBSIDIARY OBJECTIVES AND ENDORSEMENTS: In furtherance exclusively of the foregoing main objective, the group has the following subsidiary objectives: a. To organise and effect a campaign to obtain legislation to protect all urban green space. b. To bring the campaign to the attention of the elected Members of the British Government and the European Parliament and lobby for the support of all political parties.

SPUGS Annual Report 2010 (pdf file)