[E-rundbrief] Info 32 - Europ. Greens: Cancun collapse a victory

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief - Info 32

Bad Ischl, 16.9.2003

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THE GREENS/EFA IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
PRESS RELEASE - Brussels, 15 September 2003
Greens/EFA welcome opportunity to start again
Cancun collapse is a victory for democracy and developing countries

"After the 'Battle of Seattle' and the distraction of Doha, we now
have the Collapse in Cancun," said Caroline Lucas MEP (Greens - UK),
speaking directly from the scene of the failed WTO ministerial
negotiations. "It is barely believable that the EU and US were still
pursuing their one-sided trade agenda right up until the last minute
despite being given vivid notice by the majority of developing
countries, the Green movement and civil society that they were on a
losing track. Their strategy of overloading the agenda with issues
that only benefited the rich North has now been exposed as a
spectacular failure and has helped to de-rail the WTO. The
democratically expressed wishes of the majority of WTO members have
been upheld at last. The challenge now is to build on the new-found
alliances between developing, least developed and emerging economic
nations and to harness their energies to move towards a truly fair
and democratic trading system."
Sounding a note of caution, Caroline Lucas, who is a member of the
Parliament's delegation to Cancun, added: "There is real concern that
the collapse of the talks - precipitated by the refusal of the
Mexican Chair to extend the negotiations any further - has allowed
the US to avoid any commitment on reducing its cotton subsidies. It
overturns an understanding between the EU and the US that America
would need to further reform its Farm Bill."
Paul Lannoye MEP (Ecolo - BE), also a member of the Parliament's
delegation, called for a complete over-haul of the international
trading system. "Today we have seen a seismic shift in the trade
paradigm. We must applaud the courage of the developing countries in
resisting pressure and winning the right to have their voices heard
and their votes counted. The arrogance of the rich North is
staggering. Responding to a request from four of the world's poorest
countries for a fair deal on primary cotton exports, they refused to
move substantially on eliminating subsidies or applying real
anti-dumping rules. It was an insult. The final straw was the North's
insistence on launching negotiations on at least two of the four
'Singapore issues' as though the prior rejection of these proposals
was merely one of the South's negotiating tactics. We have the
opportunity now to start again. The present corporate-driven WTO
structure is in terminal decline - we need to bury it and create an
entirely new system based on the core values of equity, sustainable
development, fair trade, ecological and social justice. Those are the
trade rules of the future."
For more information contact: Hannes Lorenzen, Adviser on Agriculture
and Rural Development Issues, email hlorenzen at europarl.eu.int, Tel:
+32-2-2843362
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Press Service of the Greens/EFA Group
in the European Parliament
Helmut Weixler
Head of Press Office
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EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF GREEN PARTIES
European Parliament - room PHS 2C85
rue Wiertz, 1047 Brussels, Belgium
ph: 32 2 284 51 35, fax : 32 2 284 91 35
email : EFGP at europarl.eu.int
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