EU: Demonstration in Brugge September 6th 2001

In the second half of 2001 Belgium is president of the European Union. On Thursday, September 6 th and Friday, September 7 th EU´s foreign ministers are meeting informally in Brugge.
The official declaration tells that the European Union was a window to the world and that in order to gain stature in the eyes of the world the EU tried to help peace, development and international cooperation with respect for values it stands for: freedom, democracy, the constitutional state, human-rights and fundamental freedom. Wunderfull words which do not stand the reality test.
We, a number of social movements, progeressive parties and organisations, worried about the future of our "globalised world", want globalisation of a different kind. We want globalisation not only being orchestrated by transnational corporations´and financial speculation´s gains but developing on the basis of fundamental human-rights and needs. We want a different Europe, a social, democratic, peaceful and fair Europe. We want Europe to bear responsibility for the creating of a better world.
Foreign trade is an important issue. The European Union´s attitude has enomous influence on the developing-chances of other nations. Everybody ist pleading for "Free trade" today, which is neo-liberalism´s magic formula of today. But not everybody is equally free on the world -market. There are winners - huge investment-companies and industrialized countries - and loosers - the working population, poorer countries and environment. In today´s trade policy, orchestrated by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) less powerful acteurs are getting no chance. As long as this is not changed, development aid is not more than a drop of water in the desert.
That is why our "colourful coalition" is organizing a march for a different Europe and fair world trade in Brugge on Thursday evening September, 6th. Our intentions are perfectly peaceful and we want to utter our democratic protest against EU´s closed and undemocratic organisation and negotiations. We want to draw politics´an public´s attention to our follwing demands and ideas:

More democratic control over huge companies and institutions.

- Negotiations about important issues may no longer be held "informally", but have to be subdued to public´s democratic control.
- Third-world-nations shall gain more influence on decisions about Third-world-trade.
- EU has to strictly control huge companies observing social-, ecological-, and working- standards. International treaties about the aforementioned issues have to be prior to WTO-regulations; human-rights and human-lifes are more important than profits!

Fair trade, fair economic condititons.

- No more EU-subsidies for huge transnational companies and agricultural industrie.
- General debt relief for the Third-world, peanuts for western banks, but debts are a straight-jacket for development and mobility of two-thrids of world´s population.
- Special tariffs for certain countries or single production-methods or producers, lasting and ecological production, small-scale agriculture and cooperations. No protectionism of richer countries towards poorer countries.
- Each country is in posession of the right of a secure food-supply and must be allowed to seclude its economy in order to provide its own need of food.
- No forced privetisation of the educational sector, health care and public services under the flag of the so-called "Free Trade".
- Stop bio-patents, no patents for living beings.
- A Tobin-tax on finance speculation.

Date: Thursday, September 6 th, 7.30 pm, Zand, Brugge (Belgium) - March (festive, colourful, loud but peaceful demonstration) with short appearances, short speeches of Eric Goeman (Attac-Flandern) , ??? (ABVV), Marc Maes (11 11 11) following.

List of supporters for the time being: 11 11 11-Brugge, ABVV-West-Vlaanderen, Agalev-Brugge, Anti-Imperialistische Bond, Attac-Brugge, ASPRO, Attac-Vlaanderen, Brugse Jongeren Tegen Racisme, Kommunistische Partij-Brugge, Oxfam-Wereldwinkel Brugge, Socialistische Partij-Brugge, SP-jongeren-Brugge, v.z.w. Truth, Masereelfonds-Brugge, Anarchistisch Collectief Uitgezonderd, EU For The People

arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)