Christian Aid says European Union is bullying the global poor
-01/11/05
Although the European Union (EU) has made another move to end the deadlock in world trade talks, a leading church development agency has said that its position remains severely detrimental to the interests of the global poor.
Europeís farming subsidies are often blamed for the current stalemate in the trade talks. Now the EU has now offered to reduce its agricultural tariffs by 46 per cent.
But trade commissioner Peter Mandelson has again insisted that this is conditional on ìimmediate movement in negotiations in industrial goods and servicesî.
ìThe European Union is holding a gun to the head of poor countries in the World Trade Organizationî, said Claire Melamed, head of trade policy at Christian Aid today.
She continued: ìUnless they agree to liberalise vital services they wonít get the agricultural reform that they have been long promised in the WTO. But if they do liberalise services they will be unable to guarantee their citizens access to the essential infrastructure ñ like transport, energy and banking, that make trade possible.î
Ms Melamed said that ìhe conditions the EU has attached to its offer on agriculture make a mockery of the promises made at Doha that this would be a development round.î
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is working to get agreement before a crucial conference in Hong Kong in December, 2005. An agreement would conclude the Doha round of trade talks which began in 2001.
The last WTO ministerial meeting at Cancun ended in failure as developing countries resisted pressure by the EU and other rich countries.
ìPeter Mandelson is setting the stage for another failure in Hong Kongî, warns Claire Melamed. ëThe EU cannot continue to offer only crumbs and demand the entire cake in return.í
Christian Aid is a UK-based international development, aid and advocacy agency acting on behalf of the churches ecumenically. It assists and partners people of all faiths and none throughout the world, seeing in the Gospel an urgent call for global peace and justice.
Christian Aid says European Union is bullying the global poor
-01/11/05
Although the European Union (EU) has made another move to end the deadlock in world trade talks, a leading church development agency has said that its position remains severely detrimental to the interests of the global poor.
Europe’s farming subsidies are often blamed for the current stalemate in the trade talks. Now the EU has now offered to reduce its agricultural tariffs by 46 per cent.
But trade commissioner Peter Mandelson has again insisted that this is conditional on ‘immediate movement in negotiations in industrial goods and services’.
‘The European Union is holding a gun to the head of poor countries in the World Trade Organization’, said Claire Melamed, head of trade policy at Christian Aid today.
She continued: ‘Unless they agree to liberalise vital services they won’t get the agricultural reform that they have been long promised in the WTO. But if they do liberalise services they will be unable to guarantee their citizens access to the essential infrastructure – like transport, energy and banking, that make trade possible.’
Ms Melamed said that ‘he conditions the EU has attached to its offer on agriculture make a mockery of the promises made at Doha that this would be a development round.’
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is working to get agreement before a crucial conference in Hong Kong in December, 2005. An agreement would conclude the Doha round of trade talks which began in 2001.
The last WTO ministerial meeting at Cancun ended in failure as developing countries resisted pressure by the EU and other rich countries.
‘Peter Mandelson is setting the stage for another failure in Hong Kong’, warns Claire Melamed. ëThe EU cannot continue to offer only crumbs and demand the entire cake in return.’
Christian Aid is a UK-based international development, aid and advocacy agency acting on behalf of the churches ecumenically. It assists and partners people of all faiths and none throughout the world, seeing in the Gospel an urgent call for global peace and justice.