trade campaign

1

• trade campaign

Wednesday 10th September 2008
2
Session outline

• WDMs trade campaign
• 2. Upcoming highlights
• 3. Group discussion

3
(No Transcript)
4
Europes trade agenda

• Europe frustrated with slow progress at World
  Trade Organisation
• European companies want new markets
• Europe targets regions directly

5
(No Transcript)
6
What are these deals about?

• these deals can build on WTO by going further
  and faster in promoting openness and integration,
  by tackling issues which are not ready for
  multilateral discussion and by preparing the
  ground for the next level of multilateral
  liberalisation. Many key issues, including
  investment, public procurement, competition,
  other regulatory issues and IPR enforcement,
  which remain outside the WTO at this time can be
  addressed through these deals EU trade policy

7
What are these deals about?

• Market access
• Less regulation
• Protecting technology
• And to prevent governments from changing their
  mind in the future

8
Impacts of trade deals

• Dumping of subsidised agricultural goods
• Increased imports of European services and
  manufactured goods
• Job losses
• Loss of tax revenue to pay for public services
• Restricted policy options

9
Mexico

• 2 million farmers
• unemployed
• Big business
• make billions each year
• Foreign banks dominate banking sector

10
South Africa

• Job losses
• Food and electronics
• flooding
• local markets

11

• So what are we calling for?
• Halt to current trade deals
• Trade that works for the poor

12

• So what are we calling for?
• Halt to current trade deals
• Trade that works for the poor

13
What if there are no deals?

• The world will continue to trade
• Developing countries retain range of policies to
  develop
• Such policies were used by rich countries and the
  Asian Tigers to develop

14

• So what are we calling for?
• Halt to current trade deals
• Trade that works for the poor

15
What could progressive trade look like?

• Developing countries choose their own economic
  policies
• Regional trade blocs encouraged between similar
  countries
• Interests of people and planet are paramount
• Trade rules are created in a transparent and
  democratic manner
• Europe gives access to own markets but does not
  expect the same from developing countries

16
Whats the plan?

• Awareness in the UK
• Exploit key political opportunities
• Building resistance across Europe

17
Upcoming campaign highlights
Trade postcard
Now October 2008 December 2008 Febuary
2009 April 2009
TJM action - Barosso
MEP lobby pack
Activist forum
Fairtrade fortnight
European day of action
WDM Speaker tour
18
Upcoming campaign highlights
MEP Elections
June 2009 Autumn 2009
Appointment of trade commissioner
19
Learning from other WDM groups
20
Richmond and Kingston WDM
21
Advice from Richmond WDM group

• Find out who the MEPs are in your region
• Check out their committees and interests
• Residential address
• European party politics is different from the UK

22
Cambridge WDM
23
Advice from Cambridge WDM group

• Research MEPs interests, background etc.
  through their website
• Less adversarial approach in Europe.

24
Over to you (group discussion)