On 29 June 2005, communities living next door to the oil giant Shell presented the report ’Lessons not Learned - the other Shell Report 2004’ in the European Parliament. According to this alternative report Shell still shows a total disregard for the environment and the rights of the people living near its operations in many parts of the world. On this basis, MEPs Richard Howitt (PES) and Claude Turmes (Greens) call for a more stringent EU policy on Corporate Social Responsibility, in advance of a planned European Commission communication on CSR due this September.

The protest comes ten years after the execution of Nigerian writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others who had all campaigned against Shells polluting operations in the Niger Delta. Ten years on, communities say that despite many promises, Shell has done little to improve the situation for people locally. Many live with the daily impact of pollution from refineries, leaking pipelines and oil spills, which damage their health and the environment.

 The report can be downloaded from Friends of the Earth UK website