Recently Robin Hood and his Merry Band left the forests of Sherwood to descend upon Brussels to send a message to European leaders as they gathered to discuss jobs, growth and climate change at the Spring Summit.
A tug of war between bankers on one side – calling for leaders to ‘save our bonuses’ – and Robin Hood and his Merry Band on the other, took place in front of the European Parliament. Dozens of journalists and camera crews pitched up to see the EU leaders caught in the middle, wondering whose band to join. Some supportive MEPs also strapped on their green masks to support the campaign – Robin’s arrows had already hit the European Parliament. They recently voted in favor of a resolution on “making financial transactions taxes work” by a massive 536-80. The resolution calls upon the European Commission to explore how to implement such taxes in the best way possible, which is critical before the next G20 meeting. Who won the tug of war? Click here for more photos of the event.
Photos (C) Tineke D’haese/Oxfam
Background
Following the success of the Robin Hood Tax campaign in the UK, Europe is now following suit as organisations and networks are joining in the fight to ensure EU leaders agree and implement a Financial Transaction Tax, or “Robin Hood Tax.” This tiny tax of 0.05% on financial transactions could help EU leaders deliver on promises they’ve made to tackle the financial crisis, climate change and poverty, both at home and abroad. It’s quite simply a great idea!
The EU campaign is supported by: Oxfam International, CAN Europe, Friends of the Earth Europe, European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), Avaaz.org, Stop AIDS Alliance, CIDSE, European Attac Network, CNCD, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), WEED, Campagna per la riforma della Banca Mondiale, Solidar, 11.11.11 and the GNB Trade Union.
