People and the planet before profit
Call for European decentralised multi-sectoral day of action against TTIP, CETA and corporate free trade agenda on 11 October 2014.
* Groups are welcome to amend this call, change it and translate it according to their needs
** Groups are welcome to choose a different day of the week if more appropriate for their local campaign.
Civil society, trade unions, farmers and grassroots activist groups from all over Europe call for a day of action to stop the ongoing TTIP, CETA, TiSA and other free trade negotiations and to promote alternative trade policies, which put peoples rights, democracy and the environment first.
TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) and CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and EU) are the most prominent examples of how trade and investment policies are being negotiated undemocratically and in the sole interest of large corporations. Negotiations are being undertaken in secrecy, with very little information available for public scrutiny, while allowing corporate lobbies increasing influence over them.
Should these agreements go ahead, multinational corporations will have exclusive rights to sue governments before international panels independent from national and European legal systems. They will reduce health and safety standards in a bid for transatlantic harmonization and undermine national and local governments authority to prevent harmful business practices such as fracking or use of GMO”s. They will induce the sell-off of essential public services and force workers and social rights in a race to the bottom.
These policies are closely linked to the ongoing dismantling of social standards and the push for privatization of public services in the name of austerity, crisis-policies and increasing “competitiveness”.
The day of action will make our dissent publicly visible in the streets of Europe. We will carry the debate about these policies into the public arena, from which the EU Commission and European governments try to keep it away. And we will promote our alternatives for different economic policies.
We stand in solidarity with citizens and groups around the world who share our concerns for the environment, democracy, human and social rights. TTIP/CETA/TiSA and other similar trade agreements will be stopped by the energy which the citizens of Europe, Canada and the US put into making our voices heard.
We call on organisations, individuals and alliances to participate by organising autonomous decentralized actions across Europe. We welcome diversity of tactics and solidarity actions from across the world that will help inform, engage and mobilise people locally.
We can win this battle. Together, let”s roll back corporate power!
First Signatories:
Farms not Factories United Kingdom
Attac Spain Spain
Entrepueblos/Entrepobles/Entrepobos/Herriarte Spain
War on Want United Kingdom
Corporate Europe Observatory Belgium
PowerShift Germany
Attac Austria Austra
European Attac Network Europe
Fairwatch Italy
Occupy London United Kingdom
Transnational Institute (TNI) Netherlands
Seattle to Brussels Network International
MIM Moral in Motion Netherlands
Attac Germany Germany
World Development Movement United Kingdom
ATTAC Denmark Denmark
TTIPunfairHandelbar Germany
Forum Umwelt und Entwicklung Germany
Union syndicale Solidaires France
Anova-Irmandade Nacionalista Galiza, Spain
Assed Europe Europe
Educació per a l”Acció Crítica (EdPAC) Spain
Plataforma de Solidaridad con Chiapas y Guatemala de Madrid Spain
Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds (ICV) Spain
ReHd Mad!, Red de huertos urbanos comunitarios de Madrid Spain
Aitec-Ipam France
Fracking Free Ireland Ireland
Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT) Spain
Ecologistas en Acción Spain
No al Tratado Transatlántico de Comercio e Inversiones Spain
Huerto de Batan Spain
ELA (Basque Workers Solidarity) Basque Country
Iniciativa por la Soberania Alimentaria de Madrid (ISAm) Spain
Salva la Selva Spain
GRECS-Grup de recerca exclusió i control social-Facultat d´historia i geografia – Universitat de Barcelona Spain
Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Brussels Belgium
Alliance D19-20 Belgium
Attac France France
We Own It United Kingdom
Solidarité socialiste Belgium
FOS-socialistische solidariteit Belgium
CNCD-11.11.11 Belgique
Collectifs Isérois Stop GHRM38 France
Collectif citoyen les Engraineurs France
International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers” Associations (IUF) International
Collectif national Stop TAFTA – Non au grand marché transatlantique France