Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-05-22-Speech-2-075"
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"en.20070522.8.2-075"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the economic partnership agreement negotiations as conducted by the Commission with the backing of the Council are threatening the economic and food sovereignty of the ACP countries and jeopardising any remaining possibility for these countries to consolidate their own productive sectors by increasing the added value of their own production; they are thus leaving them open to the risk of further deindustrialisation.
The social and environmental impacts of indiscriminately opening up local markets to international investment, which is mainly directed towards natural resources and the produce of the land itself, would exacerbate the lack of any effective economic return for the people of those countries. The only ones to benefit would be the large European multinationals. On chapters such as the so-called Singapore issues, the trade in services and intellectual property rights, we will, moreover, have even stricter rules than those set by the WTO itself. A WTO Plus agreement will push the people of Africa even further into the abyss of poverty.
The stability of entire rural communities is at risk in Africa, as are thousands of manufacturing jobs. Without work, there is nothing left for people to do but migrate, trying their luck on those dilapidated boats that have again invaded Europe’s Mediterranean shores in recent days.
As the Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left, we are calling for the EPA negotiations as they have been set up to be closed and for a new start to be made on different bases, focusing on social justice, solidarity and the self-development of peoples. In our view it is inconceivable and illogical that, while the Doha Round talks are stuck, the Commission should not want the EPA negotiations to allow for any departure from the negotiating deadline.
The whole European Union should instead do all it can within the WTO to gain recognition for a transitional regime, under which a trade preference system benefiting the ACP countries will be maintained until such time as a new agreement is finalised. For all these reasons, and for others that I have no time to mention here, my group has decided to vote against the Sturdy report."@en1
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