International

Following the disappointing vote by at the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, the SP is launching a ‘People’s Resolution’ on the controversial trade treaty with Canada. The negotiation process has not been transparent, the proposal is not ready for a decision to be taken, and the treaty sacrifices important achievements in exchange for uncertain promises. The SP wants to offer the peoples of Europe time and space to respond.

Last year Trade Minister Lilianne Ploumen was arguing in favour of a ‘reset’ of free trade policy aimed at making fairer agreements. Yet she seems to have few concerns about the new, CETA-like accord with Japan, say Anne-Marie Mineur and Jasper van Dijk.

Trump, Erdoğan and Putin. These names make the world shudder on an almost daily basis. Many people are asking themselves whether the world is becoming even more unsafe because of them. Harry van Bommel takes a rather different look at the matter.

The SP has welcomed Belgium’s decision to move swiftly to ask the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to rule on parts of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada. Particularly concerning is the arbitration system which forms a section of the treaty, a system which is extremely controversial and in the view of many experts, including academics and judges, could be in conflict with the European system of law. The European Parliament recently refused to request such a judgment.

The European Parliament is not doing its job, and is thus risking undermining the rule of law in Europe. This was the SP’s response to the Parliament’s refusal to subject the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada to tests of its compatibility with European law. The arbitration system established by the treaty is particularly controversial.

SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel has reacted angrily to the arrest of a number of prominent pro-Kurdish politicians in Turkey. “More than ten democratically elected representatives have been dragged from their beds,” says Van Bommel. “This is the umpteenth illustration of the fact that Turkey has thrown the principles of the democratic rule of law overboard. The country’s accession talks on EU membership must be suspended with immediate effect and arms exports immediately restricted.”

Belgium’s refusal to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union means the beginning of the end for the treaty, according to SP Euro-MP Anne-Marie Mineur. “The Walloons continue to stand up for democracy and fair trade,’ she says. ‘That’s not compatible with this stranglehold agreement. This must mark the end of CETA, nothing else is possible. Its supporters have suffered a heavy defeat.”