Nachhaltiges Europa Abschlusspublikation - Global Marshall Plan

And where is trade in all of this?
Finally on sustainable globalisation and trade the
EU has a full agenda;
– Participating in WTO negotiations in accordance
with the Doha Development Agenda, particularly
with a view to allowing developing countries to
effectively integrate into the world trading system.
– Strengthening of the sustainability dimension of
regional and bilateral trade agreements under
negotiations.
– Strengthening of international economic governance
through co-operation between the WTO and
Bretton Woods institutions and achieve mutual
supportiveness between trade and environment
through co-operative arrangements involving the
WTO, UNEP/MEAs and UNCTAD;
– Promotion of trade in environmentally friendly
goods, notably from developing countries, through
the Trade Helpdesk, support to STICS and other
measures.
– Work on capacity building and technical
assistance programmes to help developing countries
expand exports and develop policy responses
to sustainability challenges. Support a strategic
partnership between the WTO and other relevant
international organisations involved in trade
assistance and capacity building for sustainable
development.
– Improvement of the draft OECD recommen-
dation on export credits and the environment, with
a view to its formal adoption early in 2004.
– Work to strengthen corporate social and environmental
responsibility, including the contribution
by EU companies to sustainable development in
third countries, and implement the OECD Guide-
lines for multinational enterprises.
– Contribute to the follow-up and implementation
of the report of the WCSDG.
– Development of Sustainable Impact Assessment
(SIA) methodology and dialogue with stakeholders
involved in the SIA-process.
The DDA negotiations offer an opportunity to contribute
to the achievement of the social development
goals established by the Millennium Declara-
tion as well as to contribute to sustainable development.
They have great potential to foster longterm
economic growth, stimulate trade and in-
vestment, promote sustainable development and
the management of the challenges of globalisation
and to thereby assist developing countries’ inte-
gration into the world trade system in a way that
will help them combat poverty and raise living and
working standards in an equitable manner.
Nachhaltiges Europa
The WCSDG acknowledges the crucial role of the
DDA, and encourages efforts to make multilateral
trade liberalisation mutually beneficial to all coun-
tries and socially equitable within them. The
WCSDG also underlines that trade liberalisation
should be a means to achieve ultimate objectives,
such as high and sustained growth, full employment,
promotion of decent work and the reduction
of poverty.
The EU has sought to reflect these goals in its own
negotiating position by taking account of social
development aspects in all key negotiating areas,
in many cases as a form of special and differential
treatment. In its September 2002 Communication
on Trade and Development, the Commission iden-
tified three essential elements, subsequently endorsed
by the Council, vital to achieve genuinely
pro-development outcomes in the DDA, namely:
market access; multilateral rules; and traderelated
assistance and capacity building.
Respect for democratic principles, human rights
and the rule of law have been included as essential
elements of all EU Agreements with third countries
or regional groupings since 1992. Civil society and
the social partners are also part of the process.
Dialogue and consultation with local civil society
and between partner countries authorities and
local civil society is promoted. All bilateral negotiations
provide the opportunity for the Commission
to strengthen the sustainable development dimen-
sion of its Agreements and translate its policy
commitments into concrete action. Therefore it is
important that existing provisions on CLS, such as
art. 50 of Cotonou and other Agreements, are ef-
fectively implemented.
The Commission is also committed to carrying out
Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIAs) of multilateral
and bilateral negotiations. These assess,
inter alia, the impacts on social development in
the EU and its partner countries, using a broad set
of indicators and involving in a wide consultation
stakeholders, such as private sector associations,
trade unions and civil society at large.
Conclusion
But ultimately it comes back to borders – you can
no longer aim for a sustainable “wohlhabendere
und gerechtere Gesellschaft” behind the protective
borders of nation or region, whilst the rest of the
world goes hang. Globalization means that you
have to be concerned about economic and social
conditions everywhere. You have to be concerned
to build a society that others will want to emulate
and reproduce. It’s largely happening. Exclusive-
ness is out.
51