ETUFs urge MEPs to adopt ENVI Opinion on CETA

22 Dec 2016

Eight European Trade Union Federations (ETUFs) call upon the Members of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee to vote in favour of the adoption of ENVI’s draft opinion on the EU-Canada trade and investment agreement (CETA). In a joint letter the ETUFs express support for the shortcomings identified in the report with regards to environmental protection, public health and food safety.

The ETUFs have formulated their joint concerns at numerous occasions in the past months and years and reiterate in the joint letter the problems they see with the agreement, among others the inclusion of public services, liberalisation being locked into the agreement and the weak provisions for human rights, including workers’ rights.

ETF General Secretary, Eduardo Chagas“We are not opposed to trade, nor are we opposed to an agreement with Canada. But we are highly concerned about deals being negotiated behind closed doors and without a meaningful involvement of civil society and the labour force. With this joint letter we again raise our voice and express our grave concerns about the actual text of the agreement as well as showing our support for the ENVI Committee’s draft opinion. We hope that the ENVI Committee on 12 January will vote in favour of their draft CETA Opinion.”