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doha, monday 12 november 2001
friends
of the earth europe
eu plans to dump the environment
The EU is bowing to pressure to weaken its
already modest proposals on the environment
in the WTO, according to latest sources.
Friends of the Earth reacted by warning the
EU that it should not use the environment as
a bargaining chip in order to advance its
objective to launch a new round of trade
talks. The EU's compromise on the environment
would help it to bring controversial new
issues such as investment and competition
into the WTO. It would also assist the EU to
defend its farm subsidies.
The EU's proposal to launch negotiations
on investment, competition, government
procurement and trade facilitation is still
opposed by various developing countries and
LDCs in particular. So is the EU's position
on agriculture. In order to make progress on
these issues, the already very weak proposals
from the EU to clarify the role of
environmental questions in the WTO is poised
to be sacrificed. In particular, vital EU
proposals to clarify the role of eco-labels
and the precautionary principle are
vulnerable.
Friends of the Earth is appalled by the
EU's weakening environmental position in
order to press ahead with an investment
treaty and to stick to its agricultural
policy that harms farmers around the world.
The EU has also rejected calls from civil
society to undertake a complete and
independent economic, social and ecological
assessment of existing trade rules.
Commenting, Alexandra Wandel of Friends of
the Earth Europe said:
" Doing deals to allow investment
negotiations, keep an unsustainable
agricultural policy and weaken
environmental protection and sustainable
development will undermine public support
for the WTO. The EU must withdraw its
investment and competition agenda and
promote environmental protection and
sustainability as an overarching principle
of trade policy instead".
"The European Union is trading away
prospects for a more sustainable, equitable
and democratic trading system for its
objective of launching a new round. The
environment must not be used as a pawn.
"
Contact:
Alexandra Wandel, tel +539 2747 or 49 172
748 3953 (mobile)
Tony Juniper, +44-7712 843 207
Bertram Zagema, tel:+31 62 959 3877
(mobile)
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