vote against the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Join forces to defend their people and the planet from the threats that come from the EU-Canada agreement, which needs to be ratified by the European Parliament. If meps give the green light to a trade agreement, then we’ll follow the votes of ratification in the member states of the EU.
In the open letter that was sent to legislators on 28.11.2016, the groups express serious concerns about the CETA, the ratification of which could weaken protective safeguards for workers and the environment, and to offer to foreign investors extreme legal tools to attack the regulations in the public interest.
In the open letter highlighted that:
• the CETA is not a progressive trade agreement, but on the contrary, it is even more intrusive than with the old agenda of free trade, designed by and for the largest corporations in the world.
• the agreement contains several alarming provisions that supersede the needs of the people and the planet.
• there needs to be a paradigm shift to a transparent trade policy, inclusive.
Trade unions, farmers ‘ associations, groups for the environment and public health, as well as organisations, human and digital rights from both sides of the Atlantic is the long list of signatories. The constant request for rejection of CETA is exemplary of the growing opposition to the controversial agreement, which has been criticized by legal scholars, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as a number of economists.
Pia Eberhardt, responsible for the commercial action of the signatory organisation Corporate Europe Observatory, said:
“The ratification of CETA will give businesses a blank cheque to spend their interests. The CETA contains powerful tools that can be used by the companies to intimidate decision makers and to pursue a claim for compensation in the case of established policies for the protection of people and the environment that may affect corporate profits. In essence, we will see companies to prevent governments from doing the work for which they were elected”.
“In this period of catastrophic climate change, the growth of social inequalities and the growing anger of those who they no longer feel represented by their politicians, the last thing we need is more rights for businesses”.
Larry Brown, president of the Canadian National Union of Public Employees (NUPGE) signed the letter, added:
“We stand with the european workers and the members of the civil society mobilised against this corporate trade agreement, which will not benefit the people, We, in Canada, we will continue to oppose the agreement.
We want our political leaders to move away from the failed model of trade agreements of the past and to promote trade that benefits people and the environment”.
The secretary-general of the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), Jan Willem Goudriaan, who co-signed the letter, commented:
“The unions have contributed to the negotiations for the CETA for the purpose of protection of public services and the strengthening of labour rights. However, despite the concessions of the last-minute to clarify the possible interpretation of the agreement, our concerns are not addressed in the text. The CETA has made an agreement which is truly detrimental to the interests of the people. Therefore, I urge members of the European Parliament to take the place of citizens, public services and democracy, and to vote against CETA”.
The president of the Greek Network FRIENDS of NATURE/Naturefriends Greece Kostas Φωτεινάκης that is a signatory to the letter, said:
“The Greek Government, Meps and Members who disagree with the gold mining in Skouries, Halkidiki should vote against provisional application of the CETA because it will arise in addition to legal and political obstacles in the near future for the interruption of operations and the “liberation” of the region by the “conquerors” of the Canadian company Eldorado Gold. The Skouries gold mine will destroy the natural wealth of the area, pollutes the atmosphere and the aquifer, and will create serious problems to the health of workers and residents”.
Ecological Intervention Of Heraklion
Over 455 organisations in the EU and Canada are urging lawmakers to reject the CETA
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