Brussels, 04/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - Ahead of the next round of trade negotiations between the EU and Canada on 11-15 July, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has called on Karel De Gucht to ensure that the EU and Canada take a lead towards meeting the concerns of workers worldwide. International trade agreements must help strengthen rather than undermine their rights, writes the ETUC General Secretary Bernadette Ségol in a letter addressed to European Trade Commissioner De Gucht.
Ségol calls on the EU to adjust its negotiating position to ensure that a strong dispute settlement mechanism, including the possibility of fines being imposed for breaches of international obligations on labour standards, be included in the comprehensive economic and trade agreement currently being negotiated with Canada. Such a provision, Bernadette Ségol says, which the Canadian side supports, would send a strong message also in the context of negotiations with other countries that the EU wants to ensure the observance of standards set by the International Labour Organisation as part of its trade policy. In a press release, the ETUC points out that it is particularly opposed to the inclusion of investment protection provisions in the agreement, which would lack any justification and give business powers to bring into question democratic decisions and extract huge monetary compensations. For Karel De Gucht's letter, see: http://www.etuc.org . (G.B./transl.jl)