Take Back the Power: Make Trade Work for People and Planet

Members of the World Development Movement have asked me to sign the pledge below. Corporate interests are one of the biggest threat to environmental and social justice so I was therefore very happy to sign the pledge:

If elected as an MEP in May 2014, I will stand up for trade and investment rules that serve people and the environment, and promote development objectives. I pledge to take action to bring about a full-scale re-think of the EU’s trade and investment policy.
In order to help bring about a re-think, I will:

• Write to the Trade Commissioner and President of the European Commission to urge them to commit to:

1) Remove Investor-State Dispute Settlements (ISDS) from future investment treaties and trade deals.

2) Ensure that the international framework of social, labour, human and women’s rights and standards takes precedence over corporate interests in future trade and investment deals.

3) Ensure genuine participation and engagement of civil society organisations in future trade and investment deals.

4) Consider and engage with alternatives to the EU’s current approach to trade and investment, such as those set out in the Alternative Trade Mandate.

• Seek to become actively involved in discussion and initiatives of the political grouping to which my party/I belong to bring the above issues before the European Parliament.