The issues related to global governance have assumed an increasing importance in our world as human populations attempt to deal with a variety of issues, from world trade to human security. The current growing usage of such terms as “global economy,” “global society” and “global warming” is a sign of the increasing engagement of expert opinion-makers with these issues. Ordinary opinion-makers have also engaged with these issues, as demonstrated by such sites as the Global Governance Page on Facebook. Recently, these large issues have come into [1] (1. action 2. shape 3. focus) in a relatively small section of our globe, the Canary Islands.
The Canary Islands are an archipelago located in the Atlantic off the west coast of Africa.
Formerly one of Spain’s oldest colonies, they became a Spanish Autonomous Community in 1978. When Spain joined the European Union, or the EU (at that time known as the European Communities), in 1986, they [2] ( 1. subordinated 2. qualified 3. modified) as an Outermost Region of the Union. The Outermost Regions are nine regions of EU member states which, though not geographically part of Europe, are considered part of the EU. The EU is generally considered a prime example of supranational* governance.A growing scandal covering issues of financial regulation, environmental protection and regulatory jurisdiction has come to [3] (1. light 2. pass 3. an end) in these islands.
According to an article in the British newspaper, the Financial Times, the focus of the scandal is eight luxury hotels on Lanzarote, the easternmost of the Canary Islands. Because of its remote geography and its overdependence on tourism, Lanzarote was [4] (1. provided 2. accounted 3. eligible), under the EU treaty, for a variety of European and national subsidies. Fuelled by the expanding economy of the 1990s, tourism, which had been the mainstay of the islands economy for the past 40 years, [5] (1. boomed 2. bubbled 3. banged). Hotels were built, and the islands airfield was expanded in 1999 to handle the [6] (1. intrusion 2. influence 3. inflow) of tourist flights from EU countries.
In 2008, more than five million passengers travelled to Lanzarote.
Commenting on this development, the Financial Times article states, “The rapid growth of the tourism industry has crowded out agriculture and fishing from the local economy and [7] (1. undermined 2. strengthened 3. demonstrated) the sustainability of an island.”
The scandal is centered on the issue of the use of EU funds for development projects with questionable legal status. The governing council for Lanzarote has declared a number of hotels and developments, including seven of the eight cases that received 23.6 million euros in EU funds, to be in [8] (1. support 2. breach 3. charge) of local planning laws designed to protect the islands fragile ecosystem.
The Canary Islands High Court has annulled 22 building licenses for various projects on Lanzarote. It is this relationship between development and environmental issues that has added aspects of political corruption to the financial [9] (1. assistance 2. award 3. fraud) case. The Financial Times reported that more than 30 public officials and businessmen have been arrested on allegations of corruption regarding illegal building and operating [10] (1.. systems 2. principles 3. permits). These charges transcend local political issues and involve major international organizations on the questions of policy and responsibility.
In preparing the background research for the article, the Financial Times collaborated with the London-based NPO, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ). On its web site, the BIJ states that its goal is “to bolster original journalism by producing high-quality investigations, and to explore new ways of conducting and funding investigative journalism.” By working in collaboration with other news groups, it aims to [11] ( 1. call 2. address 3. support) the difficulty that national and international media often face in [12] (1. funding 2. avoiding 3. finding) expensive long-term investigations. The joint investigation by the Financial Times and the BIJ alleges that eight large hotels used a special environmental status to promote their business and to help [13] (1. clarify 2. qualify . exemplify) for the 23.6 million euros in loans to help generate employment in the area.According to their research, before the development boom Lanzarote received a “Reservation of the Biosphere” status (hereafter called Biosphere status) in 1993 under the UNESCO “Man and the Biosphere” (MAB) Program.
This status helped the island win special funding for sustainable development.
The MAB Program is designed to innovate and demonstrate approaches to conservation and sustainable development for [14] (1. deregulated 2. designed 3. designated) Biosphere Reserve sites. These Biosphere Reserves remain under national sovereign jurisdiction, but share their experience and ideas nationally, regionally and internationally within the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Although there are 564 sites worldwide, Lanzarote is the only entire island to receiveBiosphere status.
A UNESCO spokesperson was quoted in the Financial Times article as saying, “Lanzarote had a very good application. Mass tourism was not something they were developing. They [15] ( 1. prompted 2. promoted 3. proclaimed) sustainable tourism that was more respectful to the environment.” In fact, the 1995 World Conference on Sustainable Tourism was held in Lanzarote. In light of the 16] (1. speculations 2. allegations 3. expectations) reported by the BIJ and the Financial Times, the conference theme, “Towards a New Tourist Culture,” sounds particularly ironic.
As UNESCO reviews Lanzarote’s Biosphere status, EU officials have begun to consider the implications of member states’ money being involved in political corruption. The European Anti-Fraud Office has been charged with ensuring the [17] (1. recovery 2. expenditure 3. loss) of any EU subsidies used to finance illegal construction. The BIJ has found that 19 million euros has been recovered so far, but this has been achieved by withholding those funds from the EU subsidies [18] ( 1. due 2. according 3. Owing) to Spain. The involvement of the Spanish national government raises the issue of responsibility. The Spanish national “Coastal Law” of 1988, drawn up [19] (1. in association with 2. in response to 3. without regard to) the uncontrolled development of Spain’s Mediterranean coast, nationalized the entire Spanish coastline and vested control in local governmental bodies. In 1991, the Lanzarote local government drew up a progressive land use plan, which gained world recognition as a model for sustainable development and safeguarding the ecosystem. [20] (1. Hence 2. Therefore . In fact), it was on the basis of this plan that UNESCO initially awarded Lanzarote its Biosphere Status.
It is the meeting of policy and jurisdiction, regulation and responsibility that has made the case of Lanzarote symbolic of the pitfalls of global governance. If the global organizations which are set up to address issues such as support for developing regions and protection of the world’s biosphere are to be truly effective, then the first requirement is transparency at all levels of governance, local, national and supranational.
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