To: Mr Bernd LANGE, Chair of the Committee on International Trade (INTA),
Mrs Tokia Saïfi, Mr Iuliu Winkler, Mr Jan Zahradil, Mr Yannick Jadot, VIce Chair,
Cc: Members and Substitute Members of the INTA Committee (INTA)
Subject: Call to ensure coherence between trade and health by rejecting the draft INTA recommendation on CETA during the INTA Committee vote on Tuesday 24th January
Dear Chair, Vice Chair, Honourable Members and Substitute Members,
The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) would like to express its deep concerns regarding the draft recommendation of the INTA committee on the conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)[1]
The draft recommendation suggests giving consent to the conclusion of CETA, which does not ensure policy coherence between trade and health. I would therefore like to draw your attention to our recent publication ‘The Unhealthy Side Effects of CETA’[2] which identifies 12 ways, supported by 6 case studies, how CETA could undermine good health. These points are summarised below.
In a nutshell, CETA has the potential to undermine good health by opening the door for businesses to challenge public health laws, limiting policy choices for Services of General Interest (social, healthcare, education, water), promoting tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food and ignoring the global health threat of antimicrobial resistance.
A better deal for health and consumers is still possible. We therefore call on you to reconsider your support for the CETA agreement and address our health concerns. We hope you will take our views into account during the INTA committee vote.
Yours sincerely,
Zoltán Massay-Kosubek
Policy Coordinator, EPHA
[1]http://www.emeeting.europarl.europa.eu/committees/agenda/201701/INTA/INTA(2017)0123_1/sitt-3764856
[2] https://epha.org/the-unhealthy-side-effects-of-ceta/
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Zoltán Massay-Kosubek
Policy Coordinator for Healthy Trade and Health Equity
