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Europe studies radical trade veto plan
MASSIVE HYPOCRISY ALERT. Governments would be allowed to ban imports from countries that did not share their national values and standards under proposals for radical changes to global trade rules being studied by Pascal Lamy, Europeâs trade commissioner. The changes are put forward in a discussion paper prepared for Mr Lamy, who has not taken a position on the issue, by his staff and outside advisers. His spokeswoman said he wanted to launch a debate at a conference this summer. The paper says legalising curbs on imports that do not meet individual societiesâ "collective preferences" would promote global economic integration by reducing international tensions. What he really means is that it would give the EU official cover for what itâs been doing for years. grrrr World Trade Organisation rules prohibit import bans except in specified circumstances, such as when products are found to be unsafe. However, the paper says the WTO rules give too much weight to science and too little to local social and political sensitivities. The paper does not detail what kinds of imports the European Union might want to restrict. However, it says divergent national regulations and public attitudes worldwide threaten to create growing trade frictions over environmental policy and in sectors such as agriculture, services, software and pharmaceuticals. i.e. markets where the US is strong The EU is under strong international pressure over its regulatory policies because of its long-standing ban on hormone-treated beef and de facto moratorium on approving genetically modified crops. The US and other countries say the measures violate World Trade Organisation rules, though many European consumers support them. The paper insists it is not seeking a pretext to erect new import barriers. umm hmmm ... sure ... and I have an organic veggie farm to sell you, used only by a little old lady on weekends who picked off each insect lovingly by hand However, it acknowledges that economic liberals and developing countries - long hostile to efforts to link trade and social standards - might attack the idea as protectionist and Eurocentric. gee, maybe because it is?? "Mr Lamy believes âcollective preferencesâ will shape trade policy increasingly in the future," his spokeswoman said. "He believes this is a debate we should have." See, when WE do it, itâs principled social action. When the US does it, itâs hegemony and exploitative and against international law (which we sign but donât obey) anâ, anâ, STUFF like that. The paper says global integration is entering a new phase that directly threatens countriesâ social models and regulatory systems, the EU is getting itâs head handed to it in foreign trade as a result of inefficient social regulations and the choices it makes about perceived risk vs. perceived security increasing the risk of "ideological" trade conflicts that will be hard to resolve through existing international mechanisms. Efforts to harmonise international standards, and rulings by the WTOâs dispute settlement procedures, are not enough to prevent future trade conflicts, the paper says. Governments imposing trade restrictions would need to show they were based on genuine public demand and social priorities Which should be easy since we have elites who speak in lockstep and a populace used to following along meekly Posted by: rkb 2004-02-06 |
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