Dear Members of the European Parliament,
On Wednesday 15 February, you will be voting on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada (CETA). We, the undersigned civil society organisations, ask you not to consent to the agreement.
We believe that in the current political situation, with the rise of isolationist voices across the globe exploiting discontent about the current model of globalisation, the EU should defend openness and continue to cooperate internationally. However, a trade deal like CETA does not serve this purpose. As it stands, CETA is not in the interest of European or Canadian citizens. The vote marks the end of a long process at European level. Negotiations with the Harper administration were concluded in 2014. While a number of changes have been made to the agreement, none of them address the fundamental flaws that civil society organisations have highlighted. As our concerns persist, we do not believe that CETA will benefit people and the planet. We therefore ask you not to consent to CETA in its current form; to take the concerns of citizens seriously; and to work towards building a fair and sustainable trade regime.
We would welcome the opportunity to work with you on a fair and sustainable trade agenda in the future.
We gladly remain at your disposal should you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Green10: Transport & Environment (T&E), Greenpeace EU, Friends of the Earth – Europe (FoEE), Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), Bankwatch Network (CEE), European Environmental Bureau (EEB), BirdLife Europe, Naturefriends International, Climate Action Network Europe (CAN-E), World Wide Fund for Nature Europe (WWF).
European Public Services Union (EPSU), ClientEarth, European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), European Digital Rights (EDRi), Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Eurogroup for Animals, Fair Economy Alliance.
