Rethinking Trade: Demands for a progressive EU trade policy

Demand No. 1: Trade policy should not restrict high standards and consumer protection

Trade agreements may not breakdown environmental and social standards. On the contrary: Campact demands a competition for the best standards. The precautionary principle protects the consumers and the environment in the EU: Therefore, trade agreements and the World Trade Organisation must make this a rule. An agreement may be signed only when labour rights and the international environmental standards are followed. The sustainability chapters, which define environmental and social objectives, are currently very weak. These should be binding and enforceable.

Demand No. 2: Trade policy must contribute towards sustainable agriculture

Demand No. 3: Trade and investment agreements may not contain any special complaint rights for investors

Demand No. 4: Trade policy may not come in the way of regulation of financial markets and must fight against tax loopholes

Demand No. 5: Trade policy must contribute towards protecting human rights along the entire supply chain

Demand No. 6: Trade policy must make an active contribution towards achieving the UN climate objectives

The imminent climate catastrophe requires a different trade policy. Trade agreements may not hinder the expansion of renewable energies. They must make it more difficult to trade climate-damaging products. Therefore, one pre-condition for signing trade agreements should be: Setting ambitious CO2 targets and abolishing the subsidies for fossil fuels.

Demand No. 7: Trade policy may not hamper basic public services

Public services like water supply and waste disposal are important for all of us. Trade agreements may not hamper the quality and the prices for these by promoting privatisation. They may not flatly liberalise all the services (“negative lists”). Instead, the trade partners must consider exactly which services they should include in the trade agreement. As a rule, public services must be excluded.

Demand No. 8: Trade policy must be fair

Trade agreements may not restrict the policy space of developing countries. Medicines or seeds are vital for survival, especially for the poorest. The access to these may not be restricted through rigid intellectual property rights. Negotiations about further steps in trade policy should be done in a reformed World Trade Organisation. So that every one sits at one table.

Demand No. 9: Trade policy must be organised as more democratic and transparent

The European Parliament must decide about the negotiation mandate: about the decision to start new negotiations and about the objectives, which an agreement follows. The civil society and the national parliaments must publicly discuss the mandate. The effects of the agreement must be reviewed regularly, before signing as also after coming into force. In this way, adjustments can be made in case of negative developments. The negotiations must be conducted in a transparent way. This includes the publication of all negotiation documents.

Demand No.10: A fundamental change is necessary