Brussels, 23/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - "When will Commissioner Pascal Lamy really begin to listen to the criticism voiced by the civil society and the developing countries", asked the Friends of the Earth Association after the meeting on Thursday morning (see yesterday's EUROPE, page 11), to which the non-governmental organisation had been invited; an invitation that it preferred to decline. "Consultation has increased since the failure in Seattle, but in substance nothing has changed in the position that he defends. It is nothing more than an exercise in public relations", it was said at the European office of the environmentalist network.
According to Friends of the Earth, "it is evident that, in reality, there is very little support for a broad round of talks and, if Mr Lamy continues in his efforts to impose this new round on the agenda of the WTO, then another Seattle seems likely". Alexandra Wandel, the group's commercial coordinator, sees proof of this in the total absence of candidates for hosting another ministerial meeting although it is scheduled for end 2001 (Ed.: reference to the fact that, after being the only WTO member to put its name forward after the disastrous session in December 1999, Qatar last month desisted).
"As we come closer to the first anniversary of the "Battle of Seattle", it is increasingly clear that the European Commission has not learnt its lesson", continued Ms Wandel, who added: "it is time the EU tried another tack in the aim of repairing the trading system and its rules and, to begin with, launch an appeal in favour of an independent full social and environmental examination by the Uruguay Round".