1vegan
03-11-03, 04:33 AM
The following mail was recieved by me, it's a dutch action against GATS. The sites that are mentioned could be of interest for you.
Joint Press Release
Open House Ministry of Ecomic Affairs
Organisations demand negotiations moratorium
Amsterdam, 10 March 2003 ---Friends of the Earth Netherlands, XminY,
LSVb (student union), WISE, Wemos, ABVAKABO (trade union) and the
Werkgroep Globalisering Delft/Den Haag are organising an 'Open House'
at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs on Thursday, March 13th
from 3 to 5 p.m. The organisations are very concerned about the
General Agreement of Trades in Services (GATS). The purpose of the
Open House is to find out from Secretary Wijn and his civil servants,
which services the Dutch Cabinet will offer to liberalise on March
31st in the context of WTO negotiations.
GATS negotiations are taking place behind closed doors. The Dutch
Parliament also receives insufficient information and has almost
nothing to say on the subject. However, these negotiations are about
the government offering to open up the market in important sectors
such as energy, water, waste disposal, public transport, education,
arts and health care. The organisations are therefore demanding that
the GATS negotiations be postponed for a year. The Dutch government
should use that period to take part in a public debate about
liberalisation of services.
The purpose of the GATS is to remove trade barriers. In practice this
means national governments are left few possibilities to regulate and
protect public interests such as the environment and the right to
access. Once a sector has been opened up in the context of the WTO,
there is almost nothing that can be done to turn things back. The
liberalisation of services also has serious consequences for
developing countries.
What: Open House Ministry of Economic Affairs
Where: Bezuidenhoutseweg 30, The Hague
When: Thursday, 13 March, 3-5 p.m.
Join our parade? The organisations will gather at The Hague Central
Station at 2.30 p.m. and walk in a demonstration to the Ministry of
Economic Affairs building.
Actions against the GATS will also be taking place in other European
countries on March 13.
More information:
www.gats.nl, www.globalinfo.nl and www.gatswatch.nl
Joint Press Release
Open House Ministry of Ecomic Affairs
Organisations demand negotiations moratorium
Amsterdam, 10 March 2003 ---Friends of the Earth Netherlands, XminY,
LSVb (student union), WISE, Wemos, ABVAKABO (trade union) and the
Werkgroep Globalisering Delft/Den Haag are organising an 'Open House'
at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs on Thursday, March 13th
from 3 to 5 p.m. The organisations are very concerned about the
General Agreement of Trades in Services (GATS). The purpose of the
Open House is to find out from Secretary Wijn and his civil servants,
which services the Dutch Cabinet will offer to liberalise on March
31st in the context of WTO negotiations.
GATS negotiations are taking place behind closed doors. The Dutch
Parliament also receives insufficient information and has almost
nothing to say on the subject. However, these negotiations are about
the government offering to open up the market in important sectors
such as energy, water, waste disposal, public transport, education,
arts and health care. The organisations are therefore demanding that
the GATS negotiations be postponed for a year. The Dutch government
should use that period to take part in a public debate about
liberalisation of services.
The purpose of the GATS is to remove trade barriers. In practice this
means national governments are left few possibilities to regulate and
protect public interests such as the environment and the right to
access. Once a sector has been opened up in the context of the WTO,
there is almost nothing that can be done to turn things back. The
liberalisation of services also has serious consequences for
developing countries.
What: Open House Ministry of Economic Affairs
Where: Bezuidenhoutseweg 30, The Hague
When: Thursday, 13 March, 3-5 p.m.
Join our parade? The organisations will gather at The Hague Central
Station at 2.30 p.m. and walk in a demonstration to the Ministry of
Economic Affairs building.
Actions against the GATS will also be taking place in other European
countries on March 13.
More information:
www.gats.nl, www.globalinfo.nl and www.gatswatch.nl