Lamy's Attacke auf Menschen und Erde
Protestbrief von Aktivisten an den Handels-Kommissar der EU
10.5.2001
SOS WTO-EU ist eines der internationalen Netzwerke, die kritische Gegenpositionen zu den Verhandlungen der EU mit der WTO (Welthandelsorganisation) entwickeln. In den aktuellen Verhandlungen geht es u.a. um die uneingeschränkten Märkte bei Dienstleistungen, Landwirtschaft, Ernährung, Gesundheitsdienste, Bildung, geistiges Eigentum usw. Den geschickten Vereinnahmungsversuchen widerstehen die meisten NGOs (Nichtregierungsorganisationen) und schließen sich den weltweiten, gewaltfreien Protestbewegungen an. Vor allem Massenbewegungen aus dem verarmten "Süden" haben auch wirksame und funktionierende Alternativen entwickelt und in die Praxis umgesetzt.
Der am 10.5.2001 an den zuständigen EU-Kommissar Lamy gemailte Brief ist die neueste Aktion in einer Reihe von Protesten. Über seine Antwort berichten wir demnächst. Sie finden unten nach der "Press Release" den englischen und anschließend den deutschen Text - mit der Liste der Unterzeichner.
Unter den 99 Unterstützungen aus 18 Ländern kommen ca. die Hälfte aus Österreich. Manche unter ihnen unterschrieben im Auftrag einer Organisation, bei den anderen ist sie zur Hintergrundinformation angeführt. Angesichts der kurzen Frist ist das eine beeindruckendes Zeichen des Protests. Das beweist die Effektivität unsere Informationsnetzes, das wir mit aufgebaut haben.
Informationen darüber können Sie u.a. auch über unsere e-mail-Netz "WTO" erhalten. Ein e-mail an info @ begegnungszentrum.at genügt!
Matthias Reichl
Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit, Bad Ischl
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Press Release
Lamy's attack on people and planet
Activists' protest letter to Trade Commissioner Lamy
Today trade activists from XY European countries will send an open letter to European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy that denounces the EU's stance in the WTO and the so-called civil society consultations. The letter has been written by members of the ‚Seattle to Brussels Network',which brings together development, environment, human rights and farmers organisations and research institutes from across Europe.
Today, Lamy has invited NGOs and business lobby groups to a two hour ‚public consultation' in Brussels. On this occasion, campaigners criticize that the Commission's consultations and its positioning persistantly fail to take into account the concerns of many non governmental organisations groups and developing countries.
The current consultation process organised by the European Commission is denounced as an unbalanced exercise, focusing on modalities for a new round rather than engaging in a broad and public debate on alternative and sustainable forms of trade.
In the statement activists criticise that the European Commission has established a special contact group that includes business groups such as UNICE, COPA and the European Services Forum that lobby for the interests of large companies and agribusinesses. 'Its problematic structure is an obstacle to a truly open, wider and substantive public debate about the EU's neoliberal agenda', the statement says.
'More than a year after the collapse of the WTO's Seattle Ministerial and despite worldwide opposition to a new round from nearly 1400 NGOs in 89 countries and many developing countries the European Commission has still not committed to an assessment of the impacts of the Uruguay Round; the EC pushes for a comprehensive new WTO trade round focussing on investment and competition.'
Local activist:' The EU's position is a disaster. Unless the EU changes course and withdraws its proposal for a new round, people and the environment will lose out. Pushing ahead without proper reflection and repair of the current damages and inequities also threatens the credibility of the trading system in and of itself. If the concerns of developing countries are not taken into account, the next WTO Ministerial in Qatar in November, could turn out to be another Seattle'.
For the full text of the letter see below:
Dear all,
99 organisations from 18 European countries have signed the open protest letter to Trade Commissioner Lamy!!! This letter can NOW be released (with or without press releases) in your countries to media, parliamentarians and other groups etc and be posted on your website, if available. Please spread it broadly. You will find below the letter with all the signatories listed. At the same time I will put a copy of the letter in the mail for Commissioner Lamy and fax it to him (with our sos-wto-eu@yahoogroups.com as our contact). I also save a layouted version in the file section of our email listserv (and will post it later on the website http://www.foeeurope.org). A French and German version have been circulated earlier.
Thank you very much for all your efforts.
Alexandra Wandel
Friends of the Earth Europe
Seattle to Brussels Network
10 May 2001
(Brieftext in Englisch und Deutsch im Textteil 2,