Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-11-17-Speech-3-076"
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"en.19991117.3.3-076"2
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"Mr President, Mr Schwaiger, I would like to thank your for dealing with this complex matter so thoroughly and for seeking to forge a path towards a broad consensus. It makes no sense in this WTO Round to negotiate according to the motto “I might not know where I’m going, but I’ll be the first to get there!”. It is about citizens profiting in the long term from the globalisation and liberalisation of trade. It is therefore a personal concern of mine that the outcome of the negotiations should be understood and accepted by the people. In Europe today we have extremely high standards, both with regard to environmental and consumer protection and to social protection of workers. During the course of the forthcoming negotiations, these must not be dismantled, nor undermined. Our trade partners must be persuaded of the importance of these matters.
I support the call to apply the precautionary principle and sustainability in all sectors. In the agricultural sector specifically, the results of Berlin must be the absolute lower limit in the negotiations since the situation of small rural family enterprises and of farmers in difficult geographical areas should not be disregarded. In the matter of social standards we cannot afford any shipwreck. I am therefore pragmatic.
I am concerned that in reality the contents of the 1998 ILO Conference will crop up. We should not make the mistake of alarming our negotiating partners with such massive demands. I therefore advocate the institutionalisation of the cooperation of the WTO and the ILO. Liberalisation has clearly had positive effects. However, it cannot be the case that at the end of the day the rich get richer and the poor get poorer! In this negotiating round Europe must truly speak with a single voice if we wish to assert ourselves against the USA. However, this voice must not just be the position of the powerful or of a few globalisation fanatics, but must represent the interests of the small and medium-sized companies which form the backbone of our economic strength."@en1
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