Brussels, 13/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - In a statement published on Thursday 12 May, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the Coordinating Committee of Southern Cone Trade Unions (CCSCS) called for the future EU-Mercosur free trade agreement to bring more real benefits for workers. They thus demand that social rights, decent jobs, sustainable development and democratic values be addressed in the negotiations.
The ETUC and CCSCS want the new phase of negotiations to be more transparent and subject to a real consultation with social partners and civil society. They also want the negotiators to provide “truthful information” to the public.
“We represent millions of workers. We need to know what is happening during such important negotiations, which could affect the living conditions of the members we represent. We call on the EU and the Mercosur governments to look beyond free trade and to set up a real economic partnership, not based on competition but on cooperation. We want an agreement that tackles the economic asymmetries between the two blocks, not one that widens the gap”, ETUC Secretary General Luca Visentini stated.
“Trade is an important component of our relationship with Latin America but it is not the only one. The EU needs to strengthen its regional cooperation on a number of issues, notably the social aspects. Ratification and implementation of the ILO [International Labour Organisation] Conventions should be the starting point of any trade negotiations”, Visentini underlines.
On Wednesday 11 May, the EU and Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay - with Venezuela not being involved in the free trade negotiations) exchanged their offers on market access, covering goods, services and public procurement (see EUROPE 11549).
The previous day, European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström spoke at the European Parliament and promised that impact assessments would be carried out with regard to the sustainability of an EU-Mercosur agreement, socio-economic aspects and human rights. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)