> As reported in this message, forwarded from Holland, a committee > of the European Parliament recommends that: > > The European Court of Justice should examine thoroughly the > Multilateral Agreement on Investments (MAI) before it is signed > by the EU member states. > > > Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 13:14:30 +0100 (MET) > From: Erik Wesselius <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: European Parliament Committee on Foreig Affairs adopts critical > report on MAI > > PRESS RELEASE > (The Green Group in the European Parliament) > > Brussels, 25 February 1998 > > Kreissl-Doerfler Report approved in EP Committee with overwhelming majority > > EU Court of Justice should scrutinize MAI > > The European Court of Justice should examine thoroughly the Multilateral > Agreement on Investments (MAI) before it is signed by the EU member > states. This is the demand put up in a report by German Green MEP > Wolfgang Kreissl-Doerfler, which was approved today by the > Committee for External Economic Relations by an overwhelming majority. > > The MAI, which should guarantee the protection of foreign investments, > is currently being negotiated by the 29 member states of the OECD > (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). The Greens > have raised at a very early point serious doubts about the agreement > which they say gives one-sided privileges to big investors and will > overrule environmental and economic regulations. "The protection of > foreign investments must not lead to a corrosion of environmental or > social standards," MEP Kreissl-Doerfler said today after the vote in the > Committee. "We urge substantial ameliorations to the draft of the OECD." > > The European Parliament is the first legislative body in the EU which is > coming up with a report on this highly sensitive question. "The MAI must > not be signed without a thorough discussion in the public as well as in > the national parliaments," said Kreissl-Doerfler. The Green MEP criticised > that the MAI was negotiated behind closed doors and under strong > lobbying by industry associations. Kreissl-Doerfler expects the report to > be supported by a vast majority in the plenary in Strasbourg where it is > scheduled for 11 March. > > The MAI must not break existing environmental agreements as Rio 92 or > Kyoto nor hinder the development of further international environmental > regulations, Kreissl-Doerfler stressed. Moreover, the cultural autonomy > and sovereignty of the signatory states must remain untouched by MAI. > > "The developing countries must not be forced to join the MAI > unconditionally," Kreiss-Doerfler raised another problem. "The interests > of the developing countries must not be put behind the interests of the > big investors." The Green MEP also rejected the introduction of a new > arbitration procedure. "This would give unilateral and unjustified rights > to the investors in regards to the national states. Thus Chiquita could > sue the United Kingdom, but London could not sue the banana multinational." > > ****************************** > Press Service > of the Green Group > in the European Parliament > ******************************* > Helmut WEIXLER > phone:+32-2-284 4683 > fax: +32-2-284 4944 > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Results of the vote on the MAI in the EP REX (External Economic > Relations) committee (25.2.98) > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > 1. The vote echoes the fears expressed in recent weeks publicly on > the MAI project, especially the fears concerning loss of sovereignty > in many policy sectors, from environmental law to social policies, > including the cultural sector. > > 2. The REX states that the aim of the MAI should be to stop ruinous > competition between investors -- the so-called race to the bottom by > lowering standards in order to attract investors -- in order to foster, > on a global scale, environmentally and socially sustainable and > regionally balanced economic development. > > 3. The REX recalls that there have not yet been made impact > studies concerning transport, trade, labour market, intellectual property > and on the compatibility with existing legislation within the EU, > including ACP relations and development policy. > > 4. The MAI should be compatible with all international agreements > signed by the EU. > > 5. Concerning the actual project, the REX is extremely sceptical > about the chapter on performance requirements which aims at reducing > existing legislation in the fields of environment, social policy etc. > as well as the chapter on investment protection, expropriation and > compensation. > > 6. The REX insists on a REIO clause to facilitate further > harmonisation of environmental and other legislation inside the EU. > > 7. Concerning any MAI, the REX asks to include the Guidelines on > Multilateral Companies as compulsory and to establish National Contact > Points to monitor and sanction the Multinationals' behaviour. > > 8. The REX is very sceptical about the proposal for a new dispute > settlement mechanism which should at least balance the rights of > investors and states. Even more, it suggests to stick to the existing > juridical instruments instead of creating a new one outside the > international law system. > > 9. The REX asks for dialogue, transparency and broad public > discussion with respect to the ongoing negotiations. > > 10. The REX accepts all relevant amendments made by the Development, > Fisheries, Cultural and Legal Affairs Committee. The amendments made > by the Economic Affairs Committee will be presented in the plenary. > > > for further info: > Gaby Kueppers > The Greens in the European Parliament > Advisor for external economic relations > Tel.: +32-2-284 3392; fax: -2307837 > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
