STOP Closed Door EU-INDIA FTA Negotiations: NO FTA WITHOUT PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

 

Please see the call for action on the EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) below

from the Forum on FTAs ( India ).

 

Please do forward this to other groups etc. who may be interested. Please also

consider writing to the Indian government or the EU – the language below is

only a suggestion.

 

Earlier calls for transparency on the EU-India FTA can be found here

http://www.bilaterals.org/IMG/doc/Halt_EU_India_FTA_Statement_21_Sep_2008.doc 

 

and a more detailed note on the negotiations here

http://fta.icrindia.org/files/Letter_Submitted_to_MEPs_on_26th_Nov.pd

 

Information on the EU-India FTA can be found here

http://www.bilaterals.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=163 and here

http://fta.icrindia.org/.

 

As some of you may be aware, EU FTAs typically have provisions on stronger

intellectual property rights - this includes data exclusivity and much stronger

provisions for enforcing intellectual property rights that have grave

implications for access to medicines in India and abroad. Livelihood

and farmers groups are also concerned about the overall impact of the FTA.

 

In solidarity

 

Kajal

Kajal Bhardwaj

e-mail: <k0b0@...>

--------------------------

Forum on FTAs

Action Alert

NO FTA WITHOUT PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL

CALL TO STOP CLOSED DOOR EU-INDIA FTA NEGOTIATIONS

 

In June 2007, the European Union (EU) and the Government of India started

negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This new generation FTA covers many

areas other than trade in goods viz. trade in services, investment, intellectual

property rights, competition policy, government procurement etc. Hence, these

negotiations are going to have far reaching consequences both for the policy

space of the Indian state and on the lives and livelihoods of Indian citizens.

The capability of India’s domestic industry, especially small and medium

enterprises, to face competition from developed and industrialized countries,

the need for independent policy space for sustainable development, the impact of

FTAs on farmers, workers, women and marginalized sections have been largely

overlooked during the FTA negotiations. In the context of the present global

economic crisis it is even more imperative that these consequences are better

understood and addressed.

European Parliament Members (MEPs) have put strict parameters for the FTA

negotiations with India by linking human rights, labor standards and environment

with trade, which has been opposed by Indian civil society till date. MEPs have

also proposed strict intellectual property enforcement standards, which go

beyond the WTO Agreement on TRIPS. Additionally, the present government, after

the declaration of the general election, has no moral authority to conduct such

a negotiation, which will have largely negative consequences for a majority of

people. Importantly, negotiations will not have Parliamentary oversight. So far,

five rounds of the negotiations have been completed. The sixth round will start

in New Delhi from 17-19 March, 2009.

 

Civil society groups concerned with the effects of FTAs have come together under

the banner of the Forum on FTAs, a coalition of over 70 organisations - trade

unions, peoples movements, NGOs and eminent individuals. In September 2008, and

again in November 2008, the Forum on FTAs has called for the halt of EU-India

FTA negotiations.

In this urgent context, the Forum requests you to write/mail/fax the statement

given below to following EU and Indian authorities.

 

H. E. Ms. Danile Smadja, Ambassador -

Head of Delegation, Delegation of the European Commission to India , Bhutan and

Nepal

65, Golf Links New Delhi , 110 003

49, Sunder Nagar, New Delhi 110 003

Telephone (+91-11) 2462.92.37, 2462.92.38

Fax (+91-11) 2462.92.06  E-mail Delegation-india@...

 

Shri. Kamal Nath

Minister of Commerce and Industry

Room No 146, Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi 110011

Telephone : +91 11 23061008, 23061492

Fax: +91 11 23062223, 23062947, Email: cim@...

 

You can send a copy of your statement to manicandan@...

 

In solidarity

Forum on FTAs

******

 

THE STATEMENT 

 

IMMEDIATELY HALT EU-INDIA FTA NEGOTIATIONS

 

We, express our opposition to the lack of transparency, public debate and

democratic process of the ongoing negotiations of the European Union and India

Free Trade Agreement (EU-India FTA). We are deeply concerned that this free

trade framework will have adverse socio-economic and environmental impacts.

 

Since the launch of the EU’s corporate driven Global Europe strategy and the

subsequent commencement of the negotiations in June 2007, five rounds of formal

talks have occurred without any public access to the documents explaining Indian

government’s position, its commissioned studies and the negotiating texts.

Even the Indian Parliament, state governments and legislatures have been kept in

the dark.

 

We understand that the negotiating agenda covers a range of issues; which would

undermine the policy space of Indian state; adversely affect the livelihoods of

millions; necessitate regressive amendment of laws and policies that protect the

rights of farmers, workers , small and medium enterprises, among others; and,

undermine the country’s environmental security. Therefore:

 

WE DEMAND AN IMMEDIATE HALT OF EU-INDIA FTA NEGOTIATIONS UNTIL:

 

All existing negotiating positions, draft proposals and government commissioned

studies are made public

 

All current proposals are debated and discussed in parliament and public fora

 

The federal process of consultation with the state governments is completed and

a consensus is reached

 

Consultations are conducted with key constituents such as trade unions, farmers,

women, dalit, adivasi and other peoples organizations, small and medium

enterprises, cooperatives and hawkers

A white paper is released and discussed in parliament on the socio-economic and

ecological impacts of all aspects of the EU-India FTA, especially addressing

social inequality and discrimination