Public Hearing in the European Parliament on EU Free Trade Agreements

8:30 Registration
9:00 – 09:10 Welcoming words
- Helmuth Markov, MEP (GUE/NGL), Chairman of the Committee on International Trade

9:10 – 09:30 Introduction panel
Chair: Jacques-Chai Chomtongdi (Focus on the Global South, Thailand)
- Dot Keet (Transnational Institute)
Through ‘Global Europe: Competing in the World’ the EU is developing a new strategy internally and towards the South.
- Brid Brennan (Transnational Institute-Seattle to Brussels Network, Netherlands)
Why EU is entering in the most aggressive free trade agenda and what’s the response of global justice movement.

9:30 – 10:20 Impacts of ‘Global Europe’ politics and EU Free Trade Agreements on social justice, economy and environment

Chair: Elisa Ferreira, MEP (Socialist Group), Committee of the EU-ACP Parliamentary Assembly (tbc)
- Charles Santiago (MP-Malaysia) on ASEAN countries, India and South Korea.
- Carlos Aguilar (HSA, Costa Rica) on Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Gyekye Tanoh (Africa Trade Network-Third World Network, Ghana) on Africa.
- Alexandra Strickner (IATP/Attac, Austria) on Europe.

10:20 – 11:00 Questions and comments from the audience

11:00 – 12:00 Different positions on EU trade policies in the European Parliament and in member states

Chair: Barbara Specht (WIDE- Seattle to Brussels Network, Belgium)
What has been done by the EP, national parliaments and political parties so far
and what can be done in the future?
- Caroline Lucas, MEP (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance), EP
Committee on International Trade
- Robert Sturdy, MEP (EPP-ED Group), EP Committee on International Trade (tbc)
- MEP Socialist Group, EP Committee on International Trade (tbc)
- Jens Holm, MEP (GUE/NGL), EP Committee on International Trade

12:00 – 12:50 Proposals by social movements and global networks struggeling against FTAs

Chair: Luisa Morgantini, MEP (GUE/NGL), Vice-President of the European
Parliament and EP Committee on Development (tbc)
- Seattle to Brussels Network (S2B)
- Hemispheric Social Alliance (HSA)
- ROPPA in representation of farmer movements
- Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) in representation of labour
movements and the Korean Alliance against FTAs (KoA)
- Vía Campesina in representation of farmer movements

12:50 Final words and Goodbye
- MEP Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (tbc)

Organsied by:

11.11.11, Africa Trade Network (ATN), Alianza Social Continental (ASC), Asia-Europe People’s Forum Network, Attac Austria, Both Ends, Campagna per la Reforma della Banca Mondiale, Corporate Europe Observatory, Ecologistas en Acción, Enlazando Alternativas (Red birregional Europa-América Latina y el Caribe), FAIR, FDCL, Focus on the Global South, Friends of the Earth Europe,
Friends of the Earth EWNI, Friends of the Earth International, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), International Gender and Trade Network (IGTN), Korean Alliance against FTAs (KoA), Korean Congress of Trade Unions (KCTU), Mani Tese, Monitoring Sustainability of Globalization-Malaysia, Oxfam Solidarity Belgium, ROPPA, Seattle to Brussels Network (S2B), SOMO, Terra Nuova, Transnational Institute (TNI), Via Campesina, War on Want, WEED, WIDE, World Development Movement (WDM).

With the collaboration of: Our World Is Not For Sale Network, Heinrich Böll Foundation-Berlin, ICCO, Oxfam-Novib, IGTN, Christian Aid, 11.11.11., Action Aid
and political groups in the European Parliament: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, GUE/NGL and Socialist Group.

For registration and more info:

pietje.vervest[at]tni.org

or

agroecologia[at]ecologistasenaccion.org

- Please note that you should register before April 7