EU-India Free Trade Agreement / EU-India Vrijhandelsverdrag

A large number of unions and civil society organizations in India are urging for an immediate halt to the EU-India negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). They express their opposition to to the lack of transparency, public debate and democratic process. They fear adverse socio-economic and environmental impacts, especially for women, farmers, Dalits, Adivasi, hawkers as well as unions, cooperatives and small/medium enterprises. Their documents plus some studies by other organizations on the possible impacts of the FTA can be found here.

Een groot aantal vakbonden en maatschappelijke organisaties in India pleiten voor een onmiddellijke opschorting van de EU-India onderhandelingen over een vrijhandelsverdrag. Zij zijn het niet eens met het gebrek aan transparantie, publiek debat en inspraak. Ze vrezen negatieve sociaal-economische en milieugevolgen van het vrijhandelsverdrag voor vrouwen, boeren, Dalits, Adivasi en straatventers, maar ook voor vakbonden, co-operaties en kleine ondernemingen. Hun verklaringen en brieven en een aantal andere onderzoeken naar de mogelijke impact van het vrijhandelsverdrag vindt u hieronder.

• Letter New Trade Union Initiative to Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh (April 10, 2013)
  
  
• India: Indians in the Northeast protest the European Union Free Trade Agreement (Asian Human Rights Commission, March 14, 2013)
  
  
• Moties en Kamervragen in de Tweede Kamer over Dalits, kinderarbeid, EU-India Vrijhandelsverdrag, de rol van de VN etc. (update 23 januari 2012)
  Motions and questions in Dutch Parliament on Dalits, child labour, EU-India free agreement, role of UN etc. (update January 23, 2012)
  
  
• PETITION - India: Protect Our Pharmacy Industry! (AVAAZ.org)
  
  
• "Vrijhandelsverdrag EU-India is rampzalig voor voedselzekerheid" (De Wereld Morgen, 17 december 2011)
  
  
• Vrijhandelsverdrag EU-India: EP laat teveel de koopman en te weinig de dominee spreken (persbericht ChristenUnie, 9 mei 2011)
  
  
• Answer EU Commissioner De Gucht to Open Letter of several members of European Parliament (Dec 1, 2010) concerning the EU-India FTA negotiations (February 16, 2011)
  
  
• Sluit alleen vrijhandelsverdrag EU-India met stevige sociale afspraken (22 december 2010)
  
  
• Vrijhandel EU-India bedreigt armen (Nederlands Dagblad, 22 december 2010)
  
  
• Uit de behandeling van de Begroting van Buitenlandse Zaken (15-16 december 2010) (16 december 2010)
  
  
• Motie over EU-India Vrijhandelsverdrag / Motion Dutch Parliament on EU-India Free Trade Agreement (15 december 2010)
  
  
• Does EU-India FTA Serve Mutual Interests? Policymakers, NGOs Disagree (Intellectual Property Watch, December 10, 2010)
  
  
• People before profit: Broad civil society alliance calls on European Commission to halt EU-India Free Trade Agreement warning against the disastrous impacts on people’s livelihoods (press release Traidcraft/Misereor/Wide, December 8, 2010)
  
  
• Open Letter of several members of European Parliament to Commissioner De Gucht concerning the EU-India FTA negotiations (December 1, 2010)
  
  
• EU-India Trade Talks Must Stop People’s Health and Livelihoods at Risk (press release Asia Europe People's Forum and others, October 5, 2010)
  
  
• Vraag Europees Parlement m.b.t. Onderhandelingen vrijhandelsovereenkomst EU-India (Europees Parlement, 24 september 2010)
  Question European Parliament concerning Negotiations on the free trade agreement between the EU and India (European Parliament, September 24, 2010)
  
  
• No business bias – you have got to be joking! (press release Corporate Europe Observatory, September 14, 2010)
  
  
• Corporate Lobbyists Set Agenda for EU-India Trade Deal, New Report Shows: Business Agenda Threatens Livelihoods of Millions (press release Corporate Europe Observatory / India FDI Watch, September 1, 2010)
  
  
• Trade Invaders – How big business is driving the EU-India free trade negotiations (CEO/India FDI Watch, September 2010)
  
  
• A critical review of the Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment for the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and the Republic of India from a gender perspective (WIDE, September 2009)
  
  
• European Parliament: Ensure that Dalits benefit from EU-India Free Trade Agreement (press release IDSN, 27 March 2009)
  
  
• EU-India: Free Trade Agreement to be signed by the end of 2010 say MEPs (press release European Parliament, 25 March 2009)
  
  
• EU-India FTA: Public interest groups detained during protest (YouTube, 17 March 2009)
  
  
• Report on an EU-India Free Trade Agreement (Sajjad Karim, European Parliament, 12 March 2009)
  
  
• Taking The Credit: How financial services liberalisation fails the poor (World Development Movement, March 2009)
  
  
• India-EU Free Trade Agreement: Should India Open Up Banking Sector? (Madhyam, March 2009)
  
  
• Letter to EP-INTA Delegation on FTA (Forum on FTAs, 26 November 2008)
  
  
• EU-India Free Trade Agreement: For Whom? (Forum on FTAs, 21 November 2008)
  
  
• The EU-India-FTA: Development and Growth for Each and Everybody? (Heinrich Böll Foundation, 10 November 2008)
  
  
• International Trade and Manufacturing Employment Outcomes in India - A Comparative Study (Kunal Sen, UNU-WIDER, October 2008)
  
  
• Indian trade unions, people's movement and civil society groups call for an immediate halt to EU-India FTA negotiations (press release Forum on FTAs, 29 September 2008)
  
  
• Statement of concern from India: Immediately halt EU-India FTA negotiations (representatives of trade unions, people's movements and civil society organisations, 21 September 2008)
  
  
• The EU-India FTA: Initial observations from a development perspective (Traidcraft, September 2008)
  
  
• FTA Watch India - A weekly digest on India's Free Trade Agreements and alternatives to free trade