For another Europe: Countersummit in Liège

In the second semester of 2001, that is just before the introduction of the euro as notes and coins, Belgium will assume the presidency of the European Union. The significance of this position is all the greater as most European institutions are located in Brussels.

We wish to bring together representatives of European social and associative movements. The Citizens’ European Congress is open to all interested members of trade unions, citizens’ associations, NGOs, students’ organisations, publishing houses, universities, and more generally to any citizen who wants to participate in any one of the four workshops (which will be on taxation, public services, world trade, North-South relationship). A forum for members of various European parliaments will take place simultaneously as a relay between the two World Social Forums in Porto Alegre. The outcome of this open debate between citizens and MPs should be to formulate alternatives for a different kind of globalisation. To this end MPs will be invited to take part in the various workshops, depending on the field in which they work.

Practical information:

The Conference will begin with a plenary session on Saturday morning. In it the four workshops will be introduced by Bernard Cassen, Riccardo Petrella, Susan George and Eric Toussaint. This will be followed by a trade union panel organised by Belgian trade unions (‘FGTB’, General Federation of Belgian Workers, and ‘CSC’, Confederation of Christian Trade Unions).

Workshop sessions will be held on Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon. (The number of participants to each workshop is limited to 150.)

The Conference will conclude with plenary session which will be addressed by Denis Robert, Corinne Gobin, Nicola Bullard and Binta Sarr.

In the parallel workshops participants will try to find answers to four specific questions (see workshop programme below) and to prepare contributions to the declaration which will be drafted at the end of the Conference. In each workshop the debate will be introduced by resource people from two partner organisations of ATTAC Belgique/België.

The congress will begin with a plenary session during which each issue will be introduced. Work will then be carried out in the four workshops (which can accommodate up to 150 participants each). This, we hope, will be an opportunity to bring together representatives from the widest possible range of European citizens’ associations and social movements in order to work constructively together on possible ALTERNATIVES. Various artistic and cultural events are scheduled to take place simultaneously in the city and around the University buildings. The secretariat of ATTAC-Liège will look after lodgings for participants. (see registration form).

Friday 21 September:

10.30: Call to join the demonstration organised by the European Confederation of Trade Unions

Saturday 22 September:

9.30-10: Opening of the plenary session

10-11.30: Open Session with Bernard CASSEN (President of ATTAC France, journalist and general editor of Le Monde Diplomatique); Riccardo PETRELLA (President of the Lisboa Group, member of the European centre for political and economic analysis and Professor at UCL); Susan GEORGE (Associate Director of the Transnational Institute and Vice-President of ATTAC France); Eric TOUSSAINT (President of COCAD, Committee for the Cancellation of Third World Debt and researcher in political sciences at the University of Liège).

11.30-13: Trade union panel

14-18: Parallel workshops

18: Artistic and cultural events, dinner

Sunday 23 September:

9-13: Parallel workshops

14-16: Parallel workshops

16.30-18: Concluding session with Denis ROBERT (writer, initiator of the Geneva Appeal), Corinne GOBIN (Political Scientist at the Free University of Brussels), Nicola BULLARD (economist at Focus on Global South) and Binta SARR (President of APROFES, President of COCAD Senegal and Vice-President of CONGAD).

Programme for the CEC workshops

Workshop 1 : Taxation (led by the two Belgian networks against speculative transactions)

What are the obstacles to the democratic repartition of wealth ?

What kind of european taxation policy do we want ?

How can tax havens be eliminated ?

Is a European taxation of financial transactions politically and economically feasible ? What impact would it have ?

Workshop 2 : The social dimension in Europe and public services (led by the two main Belgian trade unions ‘FGTB’ and ‘CSC’)

Is a Europe of full employment possible ?

What future is there for public services in Europe (mission and democratisation) ?

Is the privatisation of education unstoppable ?

What kind of social movement can help the development of a social Europe ?

Workshop 3 : Trade (led by the WTO coordination and the belgian platform for food autonomy)

How can the international trade organisation be democratised?

How can the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) be assessed ? And what future does it have ?

What farming model should be used ?

How can citizens be protected against TRIPS (trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights)?

Workshop 4 : North-South relationships (led by Copenhagen Group and the CETRI, Tricontinental Centre based in Belgium)

How can and should the third world debt be cancelled ? What impact would it have?

How can development be financed?

What kind of international financial institutions do we want?

How can a neoliberal globalisation be superseded by concern for human rights in all areas of human activity – economic, social, cultural and environmental ?

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Name :…………………………………………...First name : ………………………….…………………..

Organisation : …………………………………….. Country: …………………………………………………...

Tel. : ………………………..…….. Fax : …….……………….……….. Email : ….…………………….……..

Address : …………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

q I register for the ECC and wish to take part in the workshop on ………………….

q My mother tongue is:……………………………………………………………………………….

q I also understand the following other languages: ……………………………………………………..

q I would like to stay with a local inhabitant

q I would appreciate a list of hotels and other accommodation.

q I enclose a paper entitled: …………………………………………………...

(when possible please send us a copy via email) related to the following workshop: ………………………………………………………………………

TO BE SENT BACK to ATTAC Liège 48 rue du Beau Mur 4030 Liège

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Contact : Arnaud Zacharie (+32.(0)4.237.05.77) - E mail : belgium@attac.org

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