Call to halt EU-India FTA talks

Indian and European civil society groups call for an immediate halt to the India-EU trade negotiations

If you or your organisation want to sign this letter, please send your endorsement to: barbara[at]wide-network.org

We, signatories to this letter, are deeply concerned that the ongoing negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU) will fuel poverty, inequality and environmental destruction, and call for an immediate halt to the disastrous trade talks.

On 10 December 2010, the EU-India summit will take place in Brussels. It is supposed to give a political push to the negotiations, which are expected to be concluded in early 2011. The time to act is now. So far, negotiators on both sides of the talks have persistently ignored and sidelined analyses and protests by civil society, pointing out the detrimental impacts of the proposed FTA on people’s livelihoods and on the lack of social, ecological or gender- just economic development. Instead, the negotiating agenda generally reflects big business interests and demands.

Research suggests that just about every aspect of the negotiations, including the liberalisation of trade in goods and services, the extension and strict enforcement of intellectual property rights and the liberalisation of government procurement and investment will destroy people’s livelihoods and undermine their rights. The proposed FTA will also erode government policy space that is essential to manage trade and investment in the interest of pro-development, social and gender-just and environmentally sustainable outcomes.

Our key concerns are:

• Extension and enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights through provisions that go beyond what is required under World Trade Organisation agreements. TRIPS+ provisions such as data exclusivity, patent extension, and border protection measures would severely affect India’s ability to provide affordable medicines for the treatment of AIDS, malaria and cancer, not only for Indian patients but worldwide; they would contribute to hunger and malnutrition by denying small scale and subsistence farmers’ rights to seeds and sharing of knowledge. This would undermine people’s basic rights to livelihoods, to food and access to healthcare, education and research.
• Increased market access for European businesses would expose farmers, fisherfolk, street vendors and small businesses to crushing competition and lead to massive job and livelihood losses. In addition, tariff reductions would create a major loss of import duty income for the Indian government, with a potentially higher risk of further cuts in social spending including for education, health and food security.
• Further liberalisation of investment would incapacitate governments, removing policy tools that protect and build domestic industries; that foster domestic value-addition and shield vulnerable sectors of society specifically in times of crisis. For example, Indian street vendors and small shop owners would be pushed out of the market if European supermarket giants are allowed to enter the Indian retail sector. Liberalising foreign direct investment in land, fisheries and other natural resources will deprive millions of people of access to the resources they depend on for their livelihoods. Provisions on investor protection and on investor-to-state dispute settlement would grant corporations the right to challenge the Indian government and the EU over any regulatory measures that diminishes their returns.
• Further liberalisation of financial services would have a detrimental effect on lending to socially disadvantaged sectors like small farmers and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), and would lead to a dramatic decline in rural credit and services. Financial sector liberalisation would reduce government policy space to respond to financial crises and would further destabilise the financial system.
• Opening government procurement markets would undermine the role and scope of the government to advance equity and social justice by boosting domestic production, supporting SMEs and marginalised regions and groups.
• Seeking reckless access to raw materials, including a ban on export taxes and other export restrictions, would undermine governments' rights to regulate the use of raw materials and natural resources in favour of their people; it would exacerbate ongoing land displacement struggles and undermine people’s rights for their habitats and produce.
• The lack of transparency, public debate and democratic process surrounding the negotiations and the privileged access granted to business interests must be resolved. Up until now, the trade talks have been conducted behind closed doors, with no negotiating text or position made available to the public. Requests for access to meaningful information by parliamentarians, state governments and civil society in India and the EU have repeatedly been turned down. Instead, business interests have been granted privileged access to policy makers on both sides, allowing them to effectively set the FTA agenda.

Both the EU’s and India's current corporate-driven, export-oriented trade strategies are fundamentally flawed. These strategies prioritise the interests of global capital and profit maximisation over people’s right and livelihoods.

WE THEREFORE CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE HALT TO THE FTA NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN INDIA AND THE EU UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DEMANDS ARE FULLY ADDRESSED:

• The deal must not infringe on the policy space and regulatory capacity of governments to shape economic and social policies that serve the most vulnerable of their people and enable governments to intervene in markets for the public interest.
• The deal must desist from accelerating de-regulation of the kind that would increase market concentration while undermining access to essential services and public goods.
• Negotiators must end the privileged access of big business to trade policy-making in India and the EU.
• Negotiators must ensure transparency, public debate and a democratic process in relation to EU and India trade policy-making. They must release all existing information, including negotiating texts, and conduct broad consultations with the most affected groups in India and Europe such as workers farmers, street vendors, women, dalit, adivasi and people's organisations, including, cooperatives and trade unions.
• Ensure pro-development alternatives to corporate–driven FTAs that put sustainable livelihoods, food sovereignty, environmental, social and gender justice at the core. Such alternative approaches support sustainable, fair and peaceful relations between the countries and the regions instead of promoting competitiveness and a race-to-the-bottom in terms of working conditions, standards and wages.

Signatories to this letter (as of 6.12.2010):

1. Action Aid, Bangalore, India

2. Action Aid International

3. AEFJN (African Europe Faith and Justice Network), Belgium

4. Adivasi Aikya Vedika, Andhra Pradesh, India

5. AIDS Access Foundation, Thailand

6. Aitec, France

7. Akriti, Ranchi, India

8. All India Drug Action Network, India

9. All Orissa Roadside Vendors Association, Bhuvneshwar, India

10. Alternative Agriculture Network , Thailand

11. Anthra, India

12. Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft, Germany

13. Arunachal Citizens' rights, Anuracha, India

14. Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)

15. Asmita Collective, India

16. Attac Austria

17. Attac Denmark

18. Attac Finland

19. Attac France

20. Attac Germany, working group on world trade and WTO, Germany

21. Attac Liege, Belgium

22. Attac Spain

23. Attac Vlaanderen, Belgium

24. “AUR” – The National Association of Human Resources Specialists, Romania

25. Aware Trust, Tumkur, India

26. Babaylan DK, the Philippine Women's Network, Denmark

27. Bangladesh Krishok Federation, Bangladesh

28. Banulacht, Ireland

29. Bharatpur Vyapar Mahasangh, Bharatpurhandigarh Vyapar Mandal, Chandigarh, India

30. Berliner Entwicklungspolitischer Ratschlag (BER), Germany

31. Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, India

32. Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal, Delhi, India

33. Biodiversity and Community Right Action Thailand, (Biothai), Thailand

34. BLUE 21 (Berlin Working Group on Environment and Development), Germany

35. Bokaro Jila Dukandar Sangh, Bokaro, India

36. Both ENDS, the Netherlands

37. Campaign for Reform of the World Bank (CRBM), Italy

38. Cancer Patient Network, Thailand

39. Caucasus Development Group, Georgia

40. CECI (Centre for Education, Counseling and Research), Zagreb, Croatia

41. CECOEDECON, Jaipur, India

42. Centre for Peace and Development, Mizoram, India

43. Central America Women's Network (CAWN), UK

44. Centre for Education and Communication (CEC), India

45. Centre for Health Policy and Innovation, International

46. Centre for Trade and Development (Centad), India

47. Centre National de Coopération au Développement (CNCD), Belgium

48. Chandigarh Vyapar Mandal, Chandigarh

49. Chattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Raipur, India

50. Chennai Hawker Federation, Chennai, India

51. Church Development Service (EED), Germany

52. Colibri e.V., Germany

53. Comhlámh, Dublin, Ireland

54. Comite Oscar Romero de Madrid, Spain

55. Consumers’ Guidance Society, Vijayawada, India

56. Corporate Europe Observatory, Brussels, Belgium

57. Corporate Frauds Watch, Vijayawada, India

58. CIVIDEP, Bangalore, India

59. CRTD.A, Lebanon

60. DAWN (Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era)

61. Deep Welfare, New Delhi, India

62. Delhi Hawkers Federation, Delhi, India

63. Delhi Hawkers Welfare Association, Delhi, India

64. Delhi Network of Positive People (DNP+), India  

65. Delhi Vegetable Oil Traders Association, Delhi, India

66. Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh, New Delhi, India

67. DICE Foundation, Nagaland, India

68. Diverse Women for Diversity, India

69. Drug Study Group, Thailand

70. Drug System Monitoring and Development Program, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

71. Ecological Alert and Recovery, Thailand

72. Ecologistas en Acción, Madrid, Spain

73. Eco Ruralis Association, Romania

74. ECVC (European Coordination Via Campesina)

75. EATGs, international

76. Entally Market Stall Holder Association, Kolkata, India

77. Environmental Study Center, Shivamogga, India

78. EU-ASEAN FTA Campaign Network

79. EQUATIONS, India

80. Fair, Italy

81. FDI Watch India, New Delhi, India

82. Fédération Artisans du Monde - Fair Trade Network, France

83. Federation of All Orissa Traders Association, Cuttak, India

84. Federation of Associations of Maharashtra, Mumbai, India

85. Federation of Madras Merchants & Manufacturers Association, Chennai, India

86. Federation of Rajasthan Trade and Industry, Jaipur, India

87. Federation of Sadar Bazar Traders Association, Delhi, India

88. Federation of South Bengal Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Burdwan, WB, India

89. Federation of Trader’s Organization (F.T.O.), West Bengal, India

90. FEDINA, Bangalore, India

91. FIAN Austria

92. FIAN Germany

93. FIAN India

94. FIAN Sweden

95. FinnWID, Finland

96. Focus on the Global South, India

97. Food & Water Europe

98. Föreningen Svalorna Indien Bangladesh/The Swallows India Bangladesh, Sweden

99. Forum for Indigenous People and Action (FIPA), Manipur

100. Foundation for AIDS Rights, Thailand

101. Foundation for Consumers, Thailand

102. Foundation for Research in Science technology and Ecology, India

103. Foundation for Social Research and Dynamic Action, New Delhi, India

104. FRAUENSOLIDARITÄT, Vienna, Austria

105. Friends of Kidney-failure Patients Club, Thailand

106. FTA Watch, Thailand

107. GADIP, Sweden

108. Gender For Social-Economic Development, Georgia

109. Germanwatch, Germany

110. Globale Verantwortung; Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Entwicklung und Humanitäre Hilfe, Austria

111. GRAIN (International)

112. Green Foundation, India

113. Haryana Pradesh Hawkers Samiti, Palwal, India

114. Haryana Vyapar Mandal, Rohtak, India

115. Hawker Sangram Committee, Kolkata, India

116. Hazard Centre, New Delhi, India

117. Health Consumer Protection program, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

118. Heinrich Böll Foundation India, New Delhi, India

119. Himachal State Vyapar Mandal, Shimla, India

120. Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), New Delhi, India

121. Initiative for Health & Equity in Society, India

122. INKOTA-Netzwerk, Berlin, Germany

123. Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policies (IATP)

124. Intercultural Resources, New Delhi, India

125. International Federation of Hawker and Urban Poor, Kolkata, India

126. International Peoples Health Council (South Asia)

127. International Presentation Association, USA

128. Jamnagar Vyapari Mahamandal, Jamnagar, India

129. Janpahal, Delhi, India

130. Kanpur Udyog Vyapar Mandal, Kanpur, India

131. KARAT Coalition, Poland

132. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Bangalore, India

133. Kerala Swathantra Matsyathozhilali Federation, India

134. Kelara Vyapari Vyavasiyi Ekopana Samiti, Calicut, India

135. KIDS, Shimoga, India

136. Kirchliche Arbeitsstelle Südliches Afrika (KASA), Germany

137. Khudra Vikreta Mahasangh, Patna, India

138. KULU-Women and Development, Denmark

139. La Via Campesina South Asia

140. Maharashtra Jan Jagran Manch, Nagpur, India

141. Madras Broadway Bustand Small Merchants Association, Chennai, India

142. Malda Merchants Chamber of Commerce, Malda, WB, India

143. Manipur Network of Positive People (MNP+), India  

144. Mekkala Gorella Pempakadharala Sangham,Medak, India

145. Mhila Brathukuderuvu Sangham, Andhra Pradesh, India

146. Minchu Ideas, Bangalore, India

147. MISEREOR, the German Catholic Bishops' Organisation for Development Cooperation, Germany

148. Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation (MSN) - Malaysia

149. National Hawker Federation, Kolkata, India

150. National Health Federation of Canada

151. National Justice and Peace Network, UK

152. Navdanya-Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, India

153. NOIDA Market Association, Uttar Pradesh, India

154. Northeast Peoples Alliance, India

155. North Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Muzzaffarpur, India

156. Norwegian Trade Campaign, Norway

157. Observatori DESC - Spain

158. ÖBV-Via Campesina Austria

159. One World Action, UK

160. Oxfam Belgium

161. Oxfam UK

162. Pandurang Hegde, Appiko Movement, India

163. Paschimi Uttar Pradesh Udyog Vyapar Mandal, Dehradoon, India

164. Pawanputra Rehri-Patri Khomcha Sangh, Delhi, India

165. Peoples First, Delhi, India

166. Philipine Misereor Partnership, Inc, Philippines

167. Philipinenbuero e.V. Im Asienhaus, Germany

168. Plataforma de Solidaridad con Chiapas de Madrid, Spain

169. Plataforma rural / Alianzas por un mundo rural vivo, Spain

170. Poorvanchal Vyapar Mandal, Kolkata, India

171. Poorvi Delhi Vyapar Bachao Morcha, Delhi, India

172. PowerShift, Berlin, Germany

173. Public Interest Research Centre, New Delhi, India

174. Punjab Pradesh Vyapar Mandal, Amritsar, India

175. PWESCR (Programme on Women's Economic, Social and Cultural Rights), New Delhi, India

176. Ranchi Footpath Dookandaar Sangh, Ranchi, India

177. Raniganj Chamber of Commerce, Raniganj, WB, India

178. Rashtriya Vyapar Mandal, Lucknow, India

179. Redi Patri Mahasangh, Gaya, India

180. Sahar, Delhi, India

181. Shanti Ranjan Behera, Lively Democracy, Kolkata, India

182. Shardhanand Oil Traders Association, Delhi, India

183. Siddhant, West Singhbhum, India

184. Social Pharmacy Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

185. Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland

186. STOP IMPUNIDAD, Spain

187. Swathi Mahila Samsthe, Nanjangudu, India

188. Tamilnadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peravai, Chennai, India

189. Terra Nuova, Italy

190. Timarpur Shopkeepers Association, Delhi, India

191. Thai Holistic Health Foundation, Thailand

192. Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, Thailand

193. Thai NGO Coalition on AIDS, Thailand

194. Terre des Hommes Deutschland e.V, Germany

195. The Andhra Pradesh Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Trade, Secunderabad, India

196. The Rural Pharmacist Foundation, Thailand

197. The Rural Doctor Foundation, Thailand

198. The Swallows, Denmark

199. The West Godavri Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Eluru, AP, India

200. Third World Network

201. Tiye International, the Netherlands

202. Tractors & Agricultural Parts Merchants Welfare Association, New Delhi, India

203. Traders Federation of Kolkata Municipal Market, Kolkata, India

204. Trade Justice Movement, UK

205. Traidcraft Exchange UK

206. Transnational Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

207. UNI, Bangalore, India

208. Udaan Trust, Mumbai, India

209. Udyog Vyapar Mandal, Gaziabad, India

210. Unión Universal Desarrollo Solidario, Spain

211. Uttar Pradesh Udyog Vyapar Pratinidhi Mandal, Lucknow, India

212. Vegetables & Fruits Wholesale Merchants Association, Bangalore, India

213. Vidarbha Hawkers Welfare Association, Nagpur, India

214. VIP Market Association, Kolkata, India

215. War on Want, London , UK

216. WEED, Berlin, Germany

217. Weltladen-Dachverband, Germany

218. West Dinajpur Chamber of Commerce, Dinajpur, WB, India

219. Working Group on Trade - Forum Environment & Development, Germany

220. World Development Movement, London, UK

221. WIDE Austria, Vienna Austria

222. WIDE network, Brussels, Belgium

223. World Development Movement, UK

224. Xarxa de Consum Solidari, Barcelona, Spain

225. X minus Y Solidarity Fund, the Netherlands

226. Yakshi, Andhra Pradesh, India

227. 11.11.11- Coalition of the Flemish North-South Movement, Belgium

Individual endorsements:

1. Achim Vanaih, TNI India

2. Ajitha George OMON Mahila Sangathan

3. Anna Cavazzini, Germany

4. Anna Ockkina, IGSO, Russia

5. Anna Ridehalgh, Southampton, UK

6. Annie Raja, NFIW, India

7. Aruna Rodrigues, Sunray Harvesters, India

8. Ashim Roy, General Secretary, New Trade Union Initiative, India

9. Ashok Bharti, National Confederation of Dalit Organisations, India

10. Astrid Escrig, Spain

11. Belinda Funmaner CCCP, Philippines

12. Bonnie Setiawan, Resistance and Alternatives to Globalisation (RAG), Indonesia

13. Boris Kagorlitsky, IGSO, Russia

14. Brita Neuhold, Vienna, Austria

15. Carlos Ruiz, ATTAC Spain

16. Charles Hector, NAMM, Malaysia

17. Cecilia Olivet, TNI, The Netherlands

18. Christa Wichterich (Dr.), University of Vienna

19. Dang Linh Tran, Vietnam Times, Vietnam

20. Dayaamani Barla, AMARM, India

21. David Preed, BABC

22. Diego Cardona - Brazil

23. Dorothea Haerlin, ATTAC Germany

24. Emma Thanme, health workers

25. Eva Lachkovics, member of the City Council of Vienna, Austria

26. Éva Dessewffy, Vienna, Austria

27. Fachru Noqrian, Institute for global Justice

28. Franziska Keller, Member of the European Parliament from the Alliance '90/The Greens.

29. Frederik Landshöft, assistant to the Green party, German Parliament, Germany

30. Gerard Karlshausen, CNCD/11.11.11.

31. Greet Goverde, Platform ABC, The Netherlands

32. Gunasegaran Kandaswamy, Hindu Youth organisation, Malaysia

33. Hassania Chalbi-Drissi, IGTN-Afrique, Forum Mondial des Alternatives (Afrique du Nord)

34. H. Mahadeven, Deputy General Secretary, World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), Asia Pacific Region, New Delhi, India

35. Ho Thuy Linh, Vietnam

36. Huynh cong, Consultant on development

37. Indira Rani, Action Aid India

38. Induk Lee, FKTU, Korea

39. Ingrid Bischofs, Cologne

40. James Pochury, Action Aid, India

41. Jayce Naar, ACP Civil Society Forum

42. Jayati Ghosh, Professor, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, JNU, New Delhi, India

43. Jaybee Garganera, ATM, Philippines

44. Jean Grossholtz, Emeritus Professor of Women's Studies and Politics, Mount Holyoke College

45. Jeff Alderson, Oxford, UK

46. Joe Higgins, Socialist Party MEP for Dublin and member of the GUE/NGL group, member of INTA and on the delegation for relations with South Asia

47. John Blair-Fish, UK

48. Joshua Mata, Allinace of progressive Labour, Philippines

49. Juergen Kraemer, Orientalismus.Info, Germany

50. Kalyani Menon-Sen, independent researcher and feminist activist, India

51. Kannikar Kijtinatchakul, FTA watch, Thailand

52. Letchumanan Aseerpatham, Socialist party of Malaysia

53. Manisha Choudhury, India

54. Morgane Retiere, France

55. Magline, National coastal women’s movement, India

56. Mariano Gonzalez, Ecologistas en Accion, Spain

57. Marioe Maderazo

58. Marzema Kisielewswa, EESC

59. Melissa Wilson, TNI

60. Mira Shiva (Dr.), India

61. Nisha, Gurgaon, India

62. Pauilna Novo, TNI,

63. Paul-Emile Dupret, Belgium

64. Philip Kujur Coordinator BIRSA MMC

65. Pete Pinlac, Chairperson Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya, Philippines

66. Peter Waterman (Dr); Institute of Social Studies (Retired); The Hague; The Netherlands

67. Pham Hai Nam, Vietnam

68. P.K. Murthy, WFA/FMA, India

69. Prabir Purkayastha, All India Peoples Science Network, India

70. Prajeena Karmacharya, Institute of Social Studies, The Hague; The Netherlands

71. Rahul Goswami, agriculture systems researcher, associate at Centre for Communication and Development Studies, India

72. Renate Siart, Erzhausen, Germany

73. Renato B. Magtubo, National Chairperson PM, Philippines

74. Ritu Dewan (Dr), Professor, Centre for Women's Studies/Gender Economics, Mumbai, India

75. Ryu Mikyung, KCTU, South Korea

76. Salome Yesudas, India

77. Sisaliao Svengsuksa, Laos

78. Song Sokheng, community peace building network, Cambodia

79. Spencer J. Pack, Professor of Economics; Connecticut College

80. Subodh Raj Pyakhel, INSEC, Nepal

81. Surender Tirkey Gen Sec JMACC

82. Tianle Chang, IATP, China

83. Thi Chung Than, CSEED, Vietnam

84. Thilo Hoppe, MdB (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) - Sprecher für Welternährung

85. Thomas Lines, independent consultant, Brighton , UK

86. Thorsten Schulz, FDCL e.V., Berlin, Germany

87. Tony Salvador, Ideals, Philipines

88. Ute Koczy, MdB (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) - Sprecherin für Entwicklungspolitik

89. Uwe Hoering, journalist, Germany

90. Uwe Kekeritz, MdB (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) - Sprecher für Gesundheit in Entwicklungsländern

91. Vandana Shiva (Dr.), India

92. Varsha Rajan, Focus on the Global South, India

93. Wim Vandevelde, Chair European Community Advisory Board (ECAB), Brussels Belgium

94. Xavier Dias Editor Khan Kaneej aur ADHIKAR

95. Zhang Tan, Lin Xiyao, Beijing NGO, China