Target: Sabine Weyand, European Union Director General of DG-Trade
Goal: Appreciate the European Commission for reviewing EU-Africa trade relations with a sustainable outlook.
Parliamentarians at the recently concluded Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) summit in Brussels expressed their resentment at the unfair trade relations between the European Union (EU) and African countries. Participants from Uganda and Kenya, among other member states, alleged that the EU member states often dispatch toxic products to African nations, even in the form of humanitarian aid. The speakers at OACPS also cited the lack of adequate quality testing infrastructure in African countries as a vulnerability exploited by the EU. The ForceChange community took notice of this critical issue and sent this petition letter to the President of the European Commission. Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, appealed to the European civil society in a moving speech, emphasizing that human rights are for all, and the milk that can cause cancer in a European person will have the same effect everywhere. In a major development, the European Commission recently convened a meeting to review the dynamics of Europe-Africa trade relations with the EU civil society. The online open discussion session was organized by the Directorate-General of Trade (DG-Trade), the governing body responsible for defining trade policies with countries outside the EU.
The meeting agenda covered several key issues including a discourse on the latest developments in EU-Africa trade relations and updates on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). Most importantly, the trade policy review has forwarded an offer of modernizing investment and trade relations with North African countries interested in fostering cooperation with the EU. Furthermore, the session emphasized Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreements (SIFAs) to ‘improving the investment climate and support sustainable development.’
The DG-Trade meeting with the EU civil society stated that the Union is in process of stepping up its trade relations with North Africa by promoting four Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) integral to the common Union for the Mediterranean space. In addition, the meeting highlighted that DG-Trade upholds five EPAs with 14 Sub-Saharan African partners as ‘the cornerstone of our trade relations.’
The meeting is a critical milestone to facilitate ethical investing as the fundamental precept in Europe-Africa trade relations. Sign this success letter to acknowledge this important step in the right direction.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Director General Weyand,
Parliamentarians at the recently concluded OACPS summit accused the European Union of pursuing unethical trade practices with African countries. A prominent speaker at OACPS appealed to the civil society by highlighting the fact that there should be no human rights discrimination between Europe and African countries.
The DG-Trade recently convened an online session with the agenda to review EU-Africa trade relations through an improved sustainable outlook. The meeting discussed several key issues with the EU civil society, including the facilitation of EPAs, FTAs, and SIFAs with African nations.
We appreciate that the European Commission took this initiative to strengthen ethical investment relations with Africa.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Paul Kagame
195 Signatures