Brussels, 02/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - At their first joint meeting in Amsterdam on Tuesday 2 February (see EUROPE 11480), EU development ministers and their opposite numbers at trade expressed the desire to coordinate trade and development policy instruments in the quest for more sustainable value chains that ensure the safety and decent working conditions of workers in producer countries.
At the heart of the challenge lies corporate social responsibility, which the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU is seeking to promote, just as it is looking swiftly to anchor implementation of the global sustainable development goals in EU external policy (see EUROPE 11463).
“With 500 million consumers and 25 million businesses, we have a potential for action but also responsibilities”, stated Lilianne Ploumen, Dutch minister for foreign trade and development cooperation, following the informal session which she chaired. Speaking to the press, she welcomed the “enthusiasm shown by the ministers” at the idea of a common agenda for sustainable development, in cooperation with producer third countries.
The joint lunch provided the opportunity for ministers to share experiences in tackling the issue of conflict diamonds within the framework of the Kimberley Process, to discuss the EU's proposed legislation on the trade in “conflict minerals” (tin, gold, tantalum and tungsten) and to talk about the textiles initiative on which the Commission is working in the wake of the Bangladeshi textile industry's sustainability pact (see EUROPE 11480).
In the view of European International Cooperation and Development Commissioner Neven Mimica: “The discussions with trade and development ministers and the private sector revealed a collective interest in taking forward this agenda to improve the lives of millions of workers, in particular women, across the world”.
Trade Policy Commissioner Cecilia Malmström pointed out that the Trade for All agenda is strengthening the links between the various policies, sustainable development and development cooperation, and that the “Commission promotes responsible supply chains in its trade agenda”. As evidence of this, she highlighted “the free-trade agreement with Vietnam which involves civil society in monitoring”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)