[you'll need to click on the article link to get to the other links which lay out
the demands country by country]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/globalisation/story/0,7369,685670,00.html
Secret documents reveal EU's tough stance on global trade
The documents are at the foot of this article. To read them you need Adobe Acrobat
Reader. Get it here.
John Vidal, Charlotte Denny and Larry Elliott
Wednesday April 17, 2002
The Guardian
The European Union is demanding full-scale privatisation of public monopolies
across the world as its price for dismantling the common agricultural policy in the
new round of global trade talks, secret documents leaked to the Guardian revealed
yesterday.
The sweeping requests for the opening up of sensitive sectors of its trading
partners' economies including water, energy, sewerage, telecoms, post and financial
services are contained in a 1,000-page draft document prepared by Brussels
officials for approval by member states next month.
Europe has spelled out in detail a long list of restrictions which it wants its
trading partners to drop. These include requirements that New York estate agents be
US nationals, a ban in Mexico on foreigners owning land within 50km of the border
and rules in Korea restricting the sale of alcohol to licensed providers.
Many of Europe's demands are likely to meet with bitter opposition from its trading
partners, resentful that Brussels is dragging its feet on opening up its own
markets in key areas. In some areas, such as energy and postal services, Brussels
wants other countries to break up national monopolies which its own member states
have been reluctant to tackle.
The draft negotiating strategy has provoked alarm among development campaigners who
fear the ultimate goal is to push poor countries into privatising public services
like health and education.
We are shocked by how the the EU is preparing to trample over its claims to be in
favour of sustainable development in the naked pursuit of the interests of European
multinational service corporations, said Dave Timms from the World Development
Movement. These documents confirm our worst fears about these negotiations. The EU
is targeting sectors where there is no evidence that liberalisation benefits
developing countries.
With Brussels under mounting pressure from its trading partners to scrap its
expensive system of agricultural subsidies and tariff walls in the new round of
talks launched in Doha last November, Europe's top trade official, Pascal Lamy is
hoping to make major gains at the negotiating table in the increasingly lucrative
global trade in services, particularly in the financial sector.
The EU wants its companies to be able to compete on an equal footing with local
firms which will require its trading partners to scrap rules banning foreign
competition and ownership in sensitive parts of their economies. The strategy is
the fruit of years of lobbying by Europe's financial services sector which is
hoping to expand throughout Latin America and Asia.
With the City of London, home to the most sophisticated financial industry in
Europe, Britain is likely to be a big winner; Mr Lamy's initiative has enthusiastic
backing in Westminster.
Read the documents here
EU requests: Argentina
EU requests: Australia
EU requests: Brazil
EU requests: Canada
EU requests: Chile
EU requests: China
EU requests: Colombia
EU requests: Egypt
EU requests: Hong Kong
EU requests: India
EU requests: Indonesia
EU requests: Israel
EU requests: Japan
EU requests: Korea
EU requests: Malaysia
EU requests: Mexico
EU requests: New Zealand
EU requests: Pakistan
EU requests: Panama
EU requests: Paraguay
EU requests: Philippines
EU requests: Singapore
EU requests: South Africa
EU requests: Switzerland
EU requests: Taiwan
EU requests: Thailand
EU requests: Uruguay
EU requests: USA
EU requests: Venezuela
