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BackThis week, the MEPs of the Trade Committee have voted on a Free Trade Agreement with Colombia and Peru. The Agreement is highly controversial: during the course of the negotiations, trade unions and non-governmental organisations drew attention to gross violations of human rights and a large number of infringements of trade union rights in Colombia. Even though according to labour representations binding rules to improve the situation are still missing, the Committee for International Trade of the European Parliament now recommends agreeing to the new Free Trade Agreement.
However, the vote was preceded by lengthy negotiations, which were the result of protests by trade unions and a number of non-governmental organisations.
Praise by People’s Party, Social Democrats and Liberals
MEPs of the European People’s Party, the European Social Democrats and the European Liberals praised the Agreement. The Social Democrat MEP Bernd Lange pointed out that three elements, which so far did not exist, could be created to strengthen human and trade union rights: an own monitoring group to supervise the implementation of the Agreement; the sustainability chapter, which contains important demands on human and trade union rights shall also be supervised; apart from that there is a roadmap to improve labour rights, human rights and environmental standards. None of the three had existed before said Lange. A Memorandum of Understanding with the International Labour organisation shall ensure workers’ rights. The number of labour inspectors shall be increased from 3 to 4.2 per 100,000 workers. The MEPs of the People’s Party, the Liberals and Conservatives also welcomed the results of the Agreement negotiations.
Criticism of the Greens and Left
However, the European Left and the European Greens voiced criticism. The Green MEP Franziska Keller for example said that according to the text, the roadmap shall contain binding mechanisms to examine trade union rights and to prevent any violations of human rights. However, there are no details as to how these rights are examined respectively measured, said Keller. Since 2010, the number of massacres by paramilitary groups had risen by 29 percent – Keller asked how that would fit in with Colombia’s promises. The violence against trade unionists had not ended; it only had taken on another form, as also pointed out by the United Nations Development Programme, said Keller. How many of those who had murdered trade unionist had actually been convicted, inquired Keller. The representative of the European Left, Helmut Scholz, voiced similar criticism.
In spite of the still ongoing criticism by labour representatives, MEPs voted with 20 to 4 votes in favour of the recommendation on concluding the Trade Agreement with Colombia and Peru. The Agreement shall be voted on in the Plenum before the end of December.
Praise by People’s Party, Social Democrats and Liberals
MEPs of the European People’s Party, the European Social Democrats and the European Liberals praised the Agreement. The Social Democrat MEP Bernd Lange pointed out that three elements, which so far did not exist, could be created to strengthen human and trade union rights: an own monitoring group to supervise the implementation of the Agreement; the sustainability chapter, which contains important demands on human and trade union rights shall also be supervised; apart from that there is a roadmap to improve labour rights, human rights and environmental standards. None of the three had existed before said Lange. A Memorandum of Understanding with the International Labour organisation shall ensure workers’ rights. The number of labour inspectors shall be increased from 3 to 4.2 per 100,000 workers. The MEPs of the People’s Party, the Liberals and Conservatives also welcomed the results of the Agreement negotiations.
Criticism of the Greens and Left
However, the European Left and the European Greens voiced criticism. The Green MEP Franziska Keller for example said that according to the text, the roadmap shall contain binding mechanisms to examine trade union rights and to prevent any violations of human rights. However, there are no details as to how these rights are examined respectively measured, said Keller. Since 2010, the number of massacres by paramilitary groups had risen by 29 percent – Keller asked how that would fit in with Colombia’s promises. The violence against trade unionists had not ended; it only had taken on another form, as also pointed out by the United Nations Development Programme, said Keller. How many of those who had murdered trade unionist had actually been convicted, inquired Keller. The representative of the European Left, Helmut Scholz, voiced similar criticism.
In spite of the still ongoing criticism by labour representatives, MEPs voted with 20 to 4 votes in favour of the recommendation on concluding the Trade Agreement with Colombia and Peru. The Agreement shall be voted on in the Plenum before the end of December.