Brussels, 19/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Commission is not at this stage going to investigate the plundering of Cambodian farmers by sugar companies.
While a European Parliament delegation, which will visit Cambodia at the end of March, will be based on the case of the plundering of farmers criticised by human rights NGO, the European Commission will not, at this stage, carry out an investigation with a view to the suspension of trade preferences granted to Cambodia as a less developed country under the Everything But Arms initiative. This is what was stated by European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht during his visit to Phnom Pen on 18 March, as part of his tour in South East Asia, as reported by Camdodian press. On Tuesday, De Gucht met the Cambodian trade minister, Sun Chanthol, and the justice minister, Ang Vong Vathana.
The plundering of tens of thousands of farmers in the country by sugar companies is denounced by human rights NGOs, including Action Aid, which also criticise the encouragement of these violations through trade preferences granted to Cambodia. (EH)