Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-12-14-Speech-1-121"
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"en.20091214.16.1-121"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the aim of the Doha Round was clear. It was supposed to be a round to promote development, a round allowing developing countries to correct the imbalances created by the liberal policies implemented to date within the framework of the notorious Washington Consensus.
It is not surprising – although I deplore the fact – that during this crisis period, positions favouring equitable trade are on the retreat. In the face of the United States, which will not move until the health reform has been passed, and in the context of growing opposition from trade unions and the main industrial lobby groups, Europe is not managing to shift the boundaries, and it is therefore unlikely that an agreement will be reached soon.
The majority within this Parliament is therefore taking advantage of the fact to return to its ideology, that of aggressive trade, based solely on the interests of gaining greater market access. Blame the crisis. In acting in this way, in seeking, above all, the opening up of the markets and the removal of all barriers to trade, those on the right wing are, in addition, completely forgetting that it is in our interests to have strong trade partners that are fully integrated into the system of world trade. The reality is that no developing country could end up strengthened by such an agreement.
Together with Mr Désir, our group’s rapporteur on this resolution, we have tabled several amendments to the joint compromise text produced by the right-wing European political parties. Of course, I would like to see my own group’s resolution adopted, but this will not happen.
That is why our amendments make several points. Firstly, it is absolutely vital that public services remain outside the framework of the negotiations, because they relate to people’s fundamental needs and cannot be left to the markets.
Next, special treatment should be given to products which are sensitive for developing countries, particularly in the agricultural sphere. The food crisis has been swept out of people’s minds by the arrival of the financial and economic crisis. Let us not forget that food sovereignty should be our absolute priority, the first of the Millennium Development Goals.
Finally, we believe that the public intervention area in developing countries should be maintained, not only by ruling out any liberalisation of public contracts, but also by protecting new industries.
These few points, which are not an exhaustive list, are the absolute minimum in order to ensure that the Doha Round will truly promote development. If they do not appear in the final text, I will call upon my group to vote against it."@en1
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