In order to bypass criticism by some EU governments and parliaments, the European Commission wants to change the voting process for upcoming trade agreements with Mexico, Chile and the Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) and make it easier and faster for deals to be pushed through by the EU. We, civil society organisations, oppose this move as it would undermine democratic rights!
This so-called “splitting” attempt by the European Commission would mean that the trade pillars of association agreements with third countries would be adopted without requiring the consent of all EU Member States within the Council of the EU, and without requiring any kind of national ratification. This would be an assault to democracy and a severe shift away from trade decision-making rules and current practices whereby association agreements are approved unanimously by EU governments, as well as by a majority in the European Parliament and by all parliaments at the national level.
The European Commission’s move is a cynical technical way to ensure that the trade deals it negotiates enter quickly into force despite their controversy regarding deforestation, climate change, human rights violations and animal welfare. The manoeuvre would sideline opposition by some EU governments and national and/or regional parliaments.
For the EU-Mercosur agreement for example, this splitting would bypass the opposition of the parliaments in Austria, the Netherlands, Wallonia and Brussels as their approval would no longer be required. Same goes for the current government positions like the French stating that they cannot ratify the EU-Mercosur agreement in its current form because of its negative sustainability impacts – they would no longer have a veto power in the Council of the EU. It would also be against the negotiating directives given to the European Commission by the Council in 1999 and the Council Conclusions of 2018. The whole process of scrutiny of the EU-Mercosur deal was based on the common understanding that Member States would have a veto either in the Council or through the ratification at national level. The Commission cannot shortcut this process. This would create procedural pitfalls and violate the European Treaties.
We civil society organizations vehemently oppose this splitting of trade deals. Splitting the above mentioned agreements is proposed to circumvent existing concerns about the negative implications of these deals on biodiversity, climate change and human rights issues. It prioritizes economic interests above sustainability. An approval by all EU governments and national parliaments is a crucially important act of democracy that provides protection for national farmers, workers, consumers and all citizens.
We call on EU trade ministers, EU governments and national parliamentarians to stand up for the democratic scrutiny of trade agreements and to oppose the European Commission’s outrageous attempts to circumvent opposition.
Signatories,
Asamblea Argentina mejor sin TLC | Argentina |
ATTAC Argentina | Argentina |
Diálogo 2000 | Argentina |
Red de Género y Comercio | Argentina |
Tierra Nativa / Argentina | Argentina |
Anders Handeln | Austria |
Attac Austria | Austria |
DKA Austria – Dreikönigsaktion | Austria |
GLOBAL 2000 – Friends of the Earth Austria | Austria |
ÖBV-Via Campesina Austria | Austria |
Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund (Austrian Trade Union) | Austria |
Parents For Future Austria | Austria |
Parents for Future Waldviertel | Austria |
transform!at | Austria |
Welthaus Graz | Austria |
ZAMMM | Austria |
11.11.11 – Coalition for International Solidarity | Belgium |
ATTAC Wallonie Bruxelles | Belgium |
Centre national de coopération au développement (CNCD-11.11.11) | Belgium |
Centre tricontinental – CETRI | Belgium |
ENTRAIDE ET FRATERNITE | Belgium |
Eurogroup for Animals | Belgium |
Fern | Belgium |
Forum Gauche Ecoliogie | Belgium |
FUGEA | Belgium |
MOC – Mouvement ouvrier Chretien | Belgium |
Amigos de la Tierra | Brazil |
Comissão Pastoral da Terra | Brazil |
FASE – Solidariedade e Educação | Brazil |
Instituto PACS | Brazil |
Rede Jubileu Sul Brasil | Brazil |
Brazilian Front Against the Eu-Mercosur and EFTA-Mercosur Agreements | Brazil |
Brazilian Network for People’s Integration (Rebrip) | Brazil |
MST | Brazil |
The Institute of Socioeconomic Studies (Inesc) | Brazil |
CODEFF | Chile |
Fundación Vegetarianos Hoy | Chile |
Werken Rojo | Chile |
Réseau des Organisations de la Société Civile pour le Développement du Tonkpi (ROSCIDET) | Côte d’Ivoire |
Amigu di Tera (Friends of the Earth Curaçao) | Curaçao |
Hnutí DUHA – Friends of the Earth Czech Republic | Czech Republic |
Re-set: platform for social-ecological transformation | Czech Republic |
Global Aktion | Denmark |
KULU – Women and Development (national NGO network) | Denmark |
Estonian Green Movement | Estonia |
European Attac Network | European |
European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) | European |
foodwatch International | European |
Friends of the Earth Europe | European |
WeMove Europe | European |
WeMove Europe. | European |
Attac Finland | Finland |
Friends of the Earth Finland | Finland |
Aitec | France |
Alofa Tuvalu | France |
Amis de la Terre France / Friends of the Earth France | France |
Attac France | France |
CADTM France | France |
Collectif Stop CETA-Mercosur | France |
Comité Pauvreté et Politique | France |
Committee in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples of the Americas (CSIA-Nitassinan) | France |
Confédération paysanne | France |
Fédération syndicale SUD-Energie | France |
Fondation Copernic | France |
Fondation pour la Nature et l’Homme | France |
France Amérique Latine – FAL | France |
France Nature Environnement | France |
Générations Futures | France |
Les Ami.e.s de la Confédération paysanne | France |
Les Amis du Monde diplomatique | France |
Peuples Solidaires Paris 15 | France |
Veblen Institute for Economic Reforms | France |
ZEA | France |
AbL Bayern | Germany |
Aktionsgemeinschaft Solidarische Welt (ASW) | Germany |
Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft (AbL) e.V. | Germany |
Armut und Umwelt in Amazonien | Germany |
ASW Aktionsgemeinschaft Solidarische Welt e.V. | Germany |
Attac | Germany |
Berliner Wassertisch | Germany |
Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz BUND e.V. | Germany |
BUND/FoE Germany, Scientific Committee | Germany |
Bündnis für gerechten Welthandel | Germany |
Bündnis für gerechten Welthandel München | Germany |
Christ*innen für den Sozialismus | Germany |
Citizen´s Initiatiive “aufRECHT:FREIdenken Mittelbaden” | Germany |
Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren | Germany |
Dachverband der Kritischen Aktionär:innen | Germany |
Deutscher Tierschutzbund | Germany |
dgb | Germany |
FDCL-Center for Research and Documentation Chile-Latin America | Germany |
FDN | Germany |
FIAN Germany | Germany |
GAL Staufenberg | Germany |
Gesellschaft für soziale Transformation | Germany |
Heidelberger Bündnis für einen gerechten Welthandel | Germany |
Humanistische Union | Germany |
Informationsstelle Peru e.V. | Germany |
KoBra-Kooperation Brasilien e.V. | Germany |
Kölner Bündnis für gerechten Welthandel | Germany |
Konstanzer Byrnes für gerechten Welthandel | Germany |
LAG Christ*innen DIE LINKE Bayern | Germany |
LBV | Germany |
Leuphana | Germany |
Mehr Demokratie e.V. | Germany |
Misereor | Germany |
Muenchner Friedensbuendnis | Germany |
NaturFreunde Deutschlands | Germany |
Netzwerk gerechter Welthandel | Germany |
ÖDP | Germany |
PowerShift e.V. | Germany |
Slow Food Deutschland | Germany |
Umweltinstitu München e.V. | Germany |
Verdi | Germany |
Weltläden Gießen | Germany |
Wuppertaler Aktionsbündnis Gerechter Welthandel | Germany |
ATTAC Hungary Association | Hungary |
Clean Air Action Group | Hungary |
Hungarian Climate Alliance | Hungary |
Magyar Természetvédők Szövetsége / Friends of the Earth Hungary | Hungary |
Reflex Environmental Association | Hungary |
Védegylet Egyesület | Hungary |
Friends of the Earth International | International |
GRAIN | International |
Greenpeace | International |
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy | International |
Parents For Future Global | International |
SumOfUs | International |
SumOfUs | International |
Global Legal Action Network | Ireland |
Green Party | Ireland |
No TTIP/CETA Clare | Ireland |
Wicklow Greens | Ireland |
Ambiente&Salute | Italy |
Attac Italy | Italy |
Campagna Stop EU-Mercosur Italia | Italy |
Comunità La Piazzetta di Pulicciano | Italy |
Coordinamento nord sud del mondo | Italy |
Fairwatch | Italy |
Greenpeace | Italy |
MAIS ngo | Italy |
Amigos de la Tierra América Latina y el Caribe (ATALC) | Latin American |
Plataforma América Latina mejor sin TLC | Latin American |
Klima-Bündnis Lëtzebuerg | Luxembourg |
Luxembourg, FoE Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
DECA, EQUIPO PUEBLO | Mexico |
Project on Organizing, Development, Education, and Research (PODER) | Mexico |
Amigos de la Tierra México | México |
Centro de Promoción y Educación Profesionall “Vasco de Quiroga” | México |
DECA, EQUIPO PUEBLO | México |
Project on Organizing, Development, Education, and Research (PODER) | Mexico / Latin America |
Biodynamische Vereniniging | Netherlands |
Both ENDS | Netherlands |
Dierenbescherming | Netherlands |
Dutch Footprint Network | Netherlands |
FNV | Netherlands |
Handel Anders! | Netherlands |
Landbouwcoalitie voor Rechtvaardige Handel | Netherlands |
Platform Aarde Boer Consument | Netherlands |
Transnational Institute | Netherlands |
VOF van Egmond en ZN. | Netherlands |
WILPF NL | Netherlands |
Working group Food Justice | Netherlands |
World Animal Protection NL | Netherlands |
Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria | Nigeria |
Centro de Estudios HEÑÓI | Paraguay |
Iniciativa Amotocodie | Paraguay |
SOBREVIVENCIA Amigos de la Tierra | Paraguay |
APT | Portugal |
Associação Guardiões da Serra da Estrela | Portugal |
Associação Resistir.info | Portugal |
BIOPORTO | Portugal |
Campo Aberto – associação de defesa do ambiente | Portugal |
Climáximo | Portugal |
CNA – Confederação Nacional da Agricultura | Portugal |
Eco-Cartaxo | Portugal |
Ecomood Portugal | Portugal |
FERNANDA SILVA | Portugal |
GAIA – Grupo de Accao e Intervencao Ambiental | Portugal |
MARP | Portugal |
Movimento Cívico Ar Puro | Portugal |
Palombar – Associação de Conservação da Natureza e do Património Rural | Portugal |
Plataforma Transgenicos Fora | Portugal |
ProTejo | Portugal |
TROCA – Plataforma por um Comércio Internacional Justo | Portugal |
Znepokojené matky | Slovakia |
Focus Association for Sustainable Development | Slovenia |
Amigos de la Tierra | Spain |
Argentinos en España y ATTAC | Spain |
Asociación Entrepueblos/Entrepobles/Heriarte/Entrepobos | Spain |
ATTAC Spain | Spain |
COAG- Coordinadora de Organizaciones de Agricultores y Ganaderos | Spain |
Confederación Intersindical | Spain |
ECDD | Spain |
Ecologistas en Acción | Spain |
ELA | Spain |
Parque central sin especulación | Spain |
Permacultura ATTA | Spain |
UGT | Spain |
Movimiento por la Salud de los Pueblos | Sub región Sur |
Amazon Watch Sverige | Sweden |
Jordens Vänner | Sweden |
NOrdBruk | Sweden |
Environmental Justice Foundation | United Kingdom |
FRESH EYES | United Kingdom |
Global Justice Now | United Kingdom |
SEED: Strategies for Ethical and Environmental Development, Inc. | United States |
REDES – Amigos de la Tierra Uruguay | Uruguay |
Coalición de Tendencia Clasista (CTC-VZLA) | Venezuela |
Catégories: NGO Statements, EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement