The Forum Against FTAs (Free Trade Agreements), held a meeting on 13 November 2010, at the Constitution Club, New Delhi, India in order to voice concerns and discuss issues pertaining to the proposed EU-India Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement, which is soon to be signed by the European Union and the Government of India. The negotiations have gone through 13 rounds and could pick up more pace in the context of new EU Trade Strategy for 2020 announced last week. There is political intent and official pressure on both sides to finalise this FTA, BUT THERE IS NO SOCIAL BACKING FOR SUCH A TRADE AGREEMENT.
The 1 December 2009 Lisbon Treaty consolidates the EU’s investment policies in one comprehensive policy. This gives less free play for individual member states as against the European businesses lobbying for more favourable laws and policies from trading partners. India is only one of the many countries in the “South” that is being targeted as a way out of the financial crisis for business and industry on both sides.
The meeting was organised in the context of the upcoming EU-India
Business Summit in Brussels, Belgium in early December 2010. The main
purpose was to highlight the implications for the people of India. The
meeting was attended by D. Raja, member of the Indian Parliament,
representing the Communist Party of India and Franziska Keller, Member
of the European Parliament, representing the Green Party. It also
brought together several representatives of social movements, NGOs and
concerned individuals. Participants, representing various trade
organisations, fish workers’ union and people’s movements, aired their
concerns regarding the impact of the FTA on various communities of
India.
M. Raja said, that while India has a vibrant
Parliament, international treaties, such as FTAs, are signed by the
government of the day and does not need endorsement by parliament. He
demanded that the GOI come out with a white paper on what is being
negotiated, as the entire negotiations were shrouded in secrecy.
Venkatesh Nayak of the Commonwealth Human Rights Agreement added that
since many of the issues involved in an FTA – like agriculture and
fishing – are also state subjects, it is shocking that the government
does not take into confidence even the states, who are a major
stakeholder.
Kannayian, South Indian Farmers Movement
Coordination Committee, said that while 70 percent of India’s
population is dependent on agriculture, India is becoming increasingly
a food importing country. Indian farmers are small and marginal holders
while 70% of milk producers are women, most of them landless. Fifty
percent of the country is living on an income less than 1 euro per day,
but the government wants to remove tariffs, which are the only
important protection mechanism for our farmers.
Similarly, T.
Peter, Kerala Independent Fishworkers Federation and Matanhy Saldhana,
National Forum of Fishworkers, said that the EU-India FTA would
adversely impact fishing communities in India which involved more than
3.5 million people. The European Union fishing vessels are looking for
accessing the Indian waters for its resources. This would be possible
through the investment related provisions of the agreement.
Mamata
Dash, Anti-Vedanta Movement in Niyamgiri, said that the proposed
EU-India FTA mandates unlimited intervention, access and control over
resources for corporate and the history of mining in India shows that
the country has been more of an exporter of minerals. While the people
have resisted democratically unfair economic policies pursued by the
government which has been detrimental for their identity and basic
livelihood, an FTA would render such democratic processes useless.
Mohan
Gurnani, Federation of Association of Maharashtra, similarly pointed
out that foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail trade would hurt
more people than help. While FDI in retain may generate few thousand
jobs may be generated, it would ruin the livelihood of millions of
small and medium traders.
Independent lawyer Kajal Bhardwaj
said that an unfair system of patenting has led to an increase in the
prices of essential drugs and medicines, making them inaccessible for
large sections of the Indian population even while it has promoted
medical tourism in the country for people from more affluent countries
for whom treatment in India is cheaper.
The meeting called for
coordinated lobbying at both ends. The fact that neither MPs nor MEPs
have access to the texts or processes is a matter of grave concern.
There was also need to build a South-South solidarity on the issue of
trade. Lastly, there was clear need to broadbase local struggles and
magnify people’s concerns. In this context it was hoped that the media
could be an ally in not only helping get out more information and texts
from concerned government departments but to also amplify voices from
diverse movements from the ground.
FORUM AGAINST FTAs
New Delhi
