UKIP MEP accuses EU of contributing to a floods crisis by "putting wildlife before people"
"On Monday this week European Commissioner Viviane Reding came to the UK to joyously declare that 70% of UK laws originate from the EU.
"Ms Reding's visit took place at the same time as the consequences of heavy rainfall compounded by the effect of EU regulations, have brought about widespread flooding, suffering and the destruction of property.
"The evidence is that EU directives put wildlife before people. It is starting to be clear that DEFRA and the Environment Agency have been zealous in implementing EU directives.
"The new direction was started in 2004 by the European Commission document on 'flood risk management'. This bore bitter fruit in the 2007 EU Directive on Flood Risks. This has been further compounded by the EU’s Water Framework Directive, the Habitats Directive, the Environmental Impact Assessment and the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive.
"This have been followed the letter by the UK’s Environment Agency, and the downside of this is that dredging has been greatly reduced because of the tight restrictions of silt removal and the protection of species such as the Depressed River Mussel.
"In this new EU-induced dispensation, ordinary people are left sandbagged in their own homes because of flooding are the ones who are depressed and not the mussels.
"The front page of the Environment Agency's website says, ‘Floods destroy, be prepared.’
"It is clear the UK has not been prepared, and this is disgraceful."
