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We, social movements and civil society organisations of Europe, Latin America and elsewhere in the world, express our profound concern at the decision of the European Commission –- on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its 27 member states, Colombia and Peru, to negotiate bilateral trade agreements, which we fear will prompt a de facto split of the Andean Community (CAN).

The hypocrisy of the European Commission

The European Commission (EC) has failed in its mandate to negotiate on a bloc-to-bloc basis as some Andean countries resisted its extreme neo-liberal framework, outlined in the EC’s trade and investment strategy “Global Europe : Competing in the world.” To conceal its failure, yet still achieve its Global Europe strategy, the EC has decided to pursue the negotiation of bilateral free trade agreements with Colombia and Peru, which it proposes to sign in 2009.

The Commission has declared again and again that the promotion of “regional integration” is one of the priorities of the EU, and that the strengthening and promotion of the Andean integration process was one of the objectives of the so-called Association Agreement with CAN. In deciding instead to pursue bilateral negotiations with Peru and Colombia, the EC’s hypocrisy is exposed. Its stated support for regional integration was useful, only insofar as it facilitates trade and investment liberalisation.

In December 2006, the European Commissioner of International Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, stated : “I want to stress that the aim of this agreement (between the EU and CAN), as well as the spirit of the negotiation to precede it, is and has to be in the interest of both sides. The Association neither makes sense nor has any future if it is created at the expense of one of the sides .” Certainly, the negotiation of the EU-CAN Association Agreement does not make any sense if it has been carried at the expense of CAN integration itself, and in particular at the expense of those countries whose governments, Bolivia and Ecuador, propose a different bi-regional relation with the EU.

Uribe and Garcia : selling out their countries to the European transnationals in detriment of regional integration and against the will of their people

The governments of Colombia and Peru have repeatedly turned their backs on the process of regional integration. Since the signing of free trade agreements with the United States, both Presidents Alvaro Uribe and Alan Garcia have done everything possible to subordinate regional integration priorities to meeting the demands of the super powers. They have opted indeed for a subservient position in the face of neoliberal globalisation and its free trade agreements, and of submissiveness to the interests of transnational corporations.

In the case of the negotiations with the EU, the governments of Colombia and Peru have consistently expressed their preference for bilateral rather than block-to-block negotiations. It is appalling that in the current context of multiple crises affecting the region, which make regional solidarity more important than ever, Colombia and Peru are prepared to pursue their elites’ own self interest, subordinate themselves to the policies of the European Union, and in the process wipe CAN off the map. They are putting Bolivia’s efforts at poverty eradication in dire jeopardy, and are ignoring the will of the people within their own countries, who have strongly objected to the negotiation and signing of a free trade agreement with the European Union.

The agreement between the EU and the Colombian and Peruvian governments to pursue negotiations bilaterally is nefarious in going against the interests of the people of both regions, undermining efforts at a more democratic and people-centred regional integration, and as such constitutes a serious anti-democratic precedent. The EU’s hypocrisy is further underlined by the fact that the EC is choosing to ignore the fact that Colombia is notorious for grave human rights abuses and has the highest rate of assassination of union leaders in the world, and that the Peruvian government pursues continuous repressive policies towards indigenous and other popular movements.

Given the convergence of acute global crises (financial, economic, food, energy and environmental), which can squarely be blamed on irresponsible neo-liberal policies, a radical rethink of the global economic model is more crucial than ever. The positions of Europe, Colombia and Peru do nothing less than condemn ever more people to greater impoverishment.

The European Commission will conclude its mandate in June 2009. This is the opportunity to ensure there is a decisive change in approach. We demand now that the EU abandons its aggressive neo-liberal policies, which sink millions of people deeper into poverty, leading to their jobs being lost and their livelihoods threatened, while their environment and access to public services continue to deteriorate.

Our demands We, the undersigned members of the Hemispheric Social Alliance, the Europe-Latin America and the Caribbean Bi-regional Network ‘Enlazando Alternativas’, and social movements and civil society organisations of Europe, Latin America and the rest of the world :

CONDEMN :
 The divisive manoeuvring of the European Commission, employing manipulative and strong-armed methods, which will lead to the weakening and eventual disintegration of the Andean Community.
 The imposition by the EU of neo-liberal strategies of trade and investment deregulation, at any cost
 The governments of Peru and Colombia, which are willing to sacrifice the future of their people for the benefit of local elites and the European transnationals.

REJECT :
 The negotiation and signing of a Free Trade Agreement between CAN and the European Union, which is deceptively called an “Association Agreement” and couched in terms of “cooperation” and “political dialogue”.

DEMAND :
 That the EU stops negotiating Free Trade Agreements on the basis of the EU mandate “Global Europe : Competing in the world” and the rules of the World Trade Organisation.

 That the EU, Peru and Colombia commit to a complete re-definition of trade policies, such that they give priority to social justice, environmental sustainability, as well as labour and human rights (including those of women) in EU and CAN countries.

 That the EU, Peru and Colombia grant transparency to trade policy procedures, promoting accountability and democratic scrutiny through parliament and civil society.

 That the governments of Peru and Colombia respect the agreements reached within CAN and that they immediately return to dialogue within CAN.

 That the European Union respects the “bloc-to-bloc” negotiations with CAN and that it stops its negotiations of bilateral agreements with Colombia and Peru.

 That the EU, Peru and Colombia do not destroy one of the oldest regional integration processes on the American continent, that of the Andean Community (CAN), already weakened by the persistence of some governments in pursuing complete liberalisation.

Finally :

 We call on all the social, political and popular organisations, male and female workers, migrants, indigenous and peasant communities, the women, youth and trade union movements of Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and the world to take a stand and mobilise against the negotiations of Free Trade Agreements with the European Union.

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Signatories : 199 Organizations and 10 parliamentarians from 31 different countries.

Regional and International Networks
 1 Alianza Social Continental (ASC), Américas
 2 Coordinadora Andina de Organizaciones Indígenas (CAOI)
 3 Seattle to Brussels Network (S2B), Europa
 4 FIAN Internacional
 5 EU-ASEAN FTA Campaign Network, region ASEAN
 6 Servicio Paz y Justicia en América Latina (SERPAJ), América Latina
 7 Amigos de la Tierra, Europa
 8 A SEED Europa
 9 Coordinación Europea Via Campesina, Europa
 10 Health Action International Europa

AMERICA LATINA

Argentina
 11 Organización Nacional de Pueblos Indígenas de Argentina (ONPIA)

Bolivia
 12 Consejo Nacional de Ayllus y Markas del Qullasuyu (CONAMAQ)
 13 Confederación Sindical Única de Trabajadores y Campesinos de Bolivia (CSUTCB)
 14 Federación Nacional de Mujeres Bartolina Sisa de Bolivia
 15 Central Obrera de Bolivia (COB)
 16 Federación del Trópico de Bolivia
 17 Central Obrera Regional- El Alto
 18 Huelga Mundial de Mujeres
 19 Confederación Sindical Única de Trabajadores Campesinos de Bolivia (CSUTCB)
 20 Consejo de Ayllus y Markas del Qollasuyu (CONAMAQ)
 21 Consejo de Pueblos indígenas del Oriente Boliviano (CIDOB)
 22 Asociación de Organizaciones de Productores Ecológicos de Bolivia
 23 Coordinadora de Integración de Organizaciones Económicas Campesinas de Bolivia (CIOEC)
 24 Comité Nacional de Productividad de la Quinua (CONACOPROQ)
 25 Coordinadora de Pueblos Étnicos de Santa Cruz (CPESC)
 26 Confederación de la Micro y Pequeña Industria (CONAMYPE)
 27 Federación Nacional de Trabajadoras del Hogar (FENATRAHOB)
 28 Federación de Campesinos de Cochabamba, Oruro, Chuquisaca y el Sudoeste de Potosí
 29 Federación de Mujeres Campesinas Bartolina Sisa de Cochabamba, El Alto y el Sudoeste de Potosí
 30 Federación de Colonizadores de Bermejo
 31 Federación de Regantes de Cochabamba
 32 Asociación de Regantes de Santa Cruz (ARECRUZ)
 33 APDH Oruro
 34 Colectivo Rebeldía
 35 Centro Integral Juvenil de Llallagua
 36 Red Tinku
 37 Fundación Colonia Piraí
 38 Revista Cuarto Intermedio
 39 CISTEM
 40 Juventud Igualitaria Andrés Ibáñez Plan 3000
 41 Coordinadora de Organizaciones Sociales de Tarija
 42 Cetha Socamani
 43 COMIMA
 44 Café semilla juvenile
 45 La Red de Mujeres Transformando la Economía REMTE
 46 Movimiento Grito de los Excluidos
 47 Movimiento Boliviano por la Soberanía y la Integración Solidaria de los Pueblos contra el TLC y el ALCA

Chile
 48 Centro Ecuménico Diego de Medellín
 49 Identidad Territorial Lafkenche
 50 Comité Reencuentro Chileno Boliviano
 51 Comisión Etica Contra la Tortura (CECT)
 52 ATTAC Chile

Colombia
 53 Red Colombiana de Acción Frente al Libre Comercio (RECALCA)
 54 La Campaña comercio con Justicia mis derechos no se negocian
 55 Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia (ONIC)
 56 Mesa de Trabajo Mujeres y Economía
 57 Federacion de Areneros y Balasteros del Eje Cafetero
 58 Asociación de Areneros y Balasteros del Alambrado
 59 Asociacion Sindical de Areneros y Balasteros del Quindio
 60 Sindicato de Areneros y Balasteros de Barragan
 61 Sindicato de Areneros y Balasteros de Dosquebradas
 62 Instituto Latinoamericano de Servicios Legales Alternativos (ILSA)
 63 Comite Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos

Costa Rica
 64 Comisión Nacional de Enlace (CNE)
 65 Unión Nacional de Productores Agropecuarios de Costarricenses (UNAG)

Ecuador
 66 Servicio Paz y Justicia
 67 Confederación de Pueblos de la Nacionalidad Kichwa del Ecuador ECUARUNARI)
 68 Unión Nacional de Educadores
 69 Pachakamak Centro Cultural
 70 Asamblea Popular Parque Italia
 71 Ecuador Decide

El Salvador
 72 Red de Accion Ciudadana frente al Libre Comercio, SINTI TECHAN

Honduras
 73 Bloque Pupular

México
 74 Red Mexicana de Acción frente al Libre Comercio (RMALC)
 75 Red nacional Género y Economía (REDGE)
 76 Marcha Mundial de las Mujeres
 77 Mujeres para el Dialogo A.C.
 78 Siembra A.C.
 79 Red Jubileo Sur
 80 Movimiento Mexicano de Afectados por las Presas y en Defensa de los Rios
 81 Colectivo Marea Creciente
 82 Otros Mundos Chiapas
 83 Frente Nacional Contra la Represión (FNCR)
 84 Maderas del Pueblo de Sureste, AC

Nicaragua
 85 Comunidad Eclesial de Base San Pablo Apóstol
 86 Movimiento Social Nicaraguense Otro Mundo es Posible
 87 Consejo Nacional Indígena MONEXICO

Paraguay
 88 Frente Social y Popular
 89 Iniciativa Paraguaya de Integraciòn de los Pueblos

Perú
 90 Confederación Campesina del Perú (CCP)
 91 Confederación Nacional Agraria (CNA)
 92 Unión de Nacionalidades Aymaras (UNCA)
 93 Federación de Mujeres de Yauli (FEMUCAY)
 94 Asociación Nacional de Maestros de Educación Bilingüe Intercultural (ANAMEBI)
 95 Consejo de Productores Alpaqueros del Norte de Ayacucho (COPUCNA)
 96 Movimiento Cumbre de los Pueblos del Perú
 97 Sindicato Único de Choferes Cobradores del Perú (SUCHOCOP)
 98 Grupo de Iniciativas Urbanas de Lima
 99 Centro de Asesoria Laboral (CEDAL)
 100 Grupo temático de Migraciones (GTM)
 101 Asociación de Defensa de la Vida (ADEVI)
 102 Grupo Negro Mamaine
 103 Consejo Consultivo Laboral Andino
 104 Instituto Laboral Andino
 105 Programa Democracia y Transformación Global
 106 DEMUS- Estudio para la Defensa y los Derechos de la Mujer
 107 Marcha Mundial de las Mujeres (MMM-Perú)
 108 Alianza Social Continental Capitulo Perú

Uruguay
 109 REDES - Amigos de la Tierra

EUROPA Germany
 110 FDCL - Centro de Investigación y Documentación Chile-América Latina
 111 ILA - Informationsstelle Lateinamerika e.V. Bonn (Centro de Información sobre América Latina - Bonn)
 112 Eine Welt Haus e.V. München
 113 Salva la Selva
 114 Gruppe B.A.S.T.A.
 115 Venezuela Avanza e.V München
 116 Centro humanista de las culturas (Humanistisches Zentrum der Kulturen)
 117 Circulo de amigos de Luz de luna
 118 CAREA e.V. (Haus der Demokratie und Menschenrechte)
 119 SDAJ (Juventud socialista de Alemania) de Munich
 120 Informationsstelle Peru e.V., Freiburg
 121 Lateinamerika Gruppe Marburg
 122 ATTAC Alemania

Austria
 123 Center for Encounter and active Non-Violence
 124 Attac Austria
 125 Caracol Mundo -eco de latido en solidaridad
 126 IGLA - Informarionsgruppe Lateinamerika (Grupo de Información sobre América Latina

Belgium
 127 UAG - Une Autre Gauche
 128 Comité contre l’impunité en Amérique Latine (CIDAL)
 129 Comité pour le respect des Droits humains "Daniel Gillard"
 130 Collectif "Venezuela 13 Avril"
 131 Comité de Solidadridad con el Pueblo Mapuche (COMABE)
 132 CNCD—11.11.11
 133 KWIA, Grupo flamenco de apoyo para los pueblos indigenas
 134 CATAPA (Comité Académico Técnico de Asesoramiento a Problemas Ambientales)

Spain
 135 Ecologistas en Acción
 136 Observatorio de la Deuda en la Globalización (ODG)
 137 ACSUR Las Segovias
 138 Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Enseñanza de Euskadi STEE-EILAS
 139 Coordinadora de Inmigrantes Málaga
 140 Asociación para la Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica de Mérida y Comarca
 141 Soldepaz.Pachakuti
 142 Educación para la Acción Crítica
 143 Colectivo Sur Cacarica
 144 Comitè de Solidaritat amb els Pobles Indígenes d’Amèrica
 145 Ecuador Llactacaru
 146 Comite Oscar Romero de Madrid
 147 Asociacion de Solidaridad con Colombia"Katio"
 148 Comunidades Cristianas Populares
 149 Omal - Paz con Dignidad
 150 Red de Semillas "Resembrando e Intercambiando"
 151 Plataforma de Solidaridad con Chiapas, Oaxaca y Guatemala de Madrid
 152 Centro de Documentación y Solidaridad con América Latina y África (CEDSALA)
 153 ATTAC España
 154 Grupo Antimilitarista de Bilbao
 155 Plataforma Rural
 156 SETEM
 157 AlterNativa Intercambio con Pueblos Indígenas
 158 Izquierda Unida España
 159 IEPALA

Finland
 160 ATTAC

Flanders
 161 ATTAC FLANDERS

France
 162 France Amérique Latine (FAL)
 163 ATTAC Francia
 164 CADTM - Comité pour l’annulation de la dette du tiers monde, Francia/Bélgica
 165 Tribunal International d’Opinion
 166 Colectivo peruanos en Francia-ANPP
 167 Comité Pérou
 168 AITEC
 169 Universidad Popular Mariátegui -UNIPOMA

Netherlands
 170 Transnational Institute (TNI)
 171 Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)
 172 XminusY Solidarity Fund

Ireland
 173 Latin American Solidarity Centre (LASC)
 174 Comhlamh

Italy
 175 SdL intercategoriale
 176 Partido de la Refundaciòn Comunista - Izquierda Europea
 177 Transform ! Italia
 178 Asociaciòn A Sud
 179 Colectivo Italia-Centro America (CICA)
 180 Fondazione Neno Zanchetta

Basque Country
 181 Ekologistak Martxan

Portugal
 182 SOS Racismo
 183 Sociofonia.org (Associação para a informação por outros meios)
 184 CIDAC (Centro de Informação e Documentação Anti-Colonial

Sweden
 185 Solidaridad Suecia América Latina-SAL
 186 Grupo de Apoyo a Bolivia GAB
 187 Coordinadora del Consejo Pro Bolivia en Escandinavia
 188 Comité de Apoyo a Bolivia de Malmö
 189 Asociación Cultural Sueco Salvadoreña de Gotemburgo

Switzerland
 190 Grupo de Trabajo Suiza-Colombia (Arbeitsgruppe Schweiz-Kolumbien ask)

UK
 191 World Development Movement
 192 Colombia Solidarity Campaign
 193 War on Want

AFRICA

Nigeria
 194 Réseau National Dette et Développement (RNDD)
 195 Human Rights Defenders Network (HURIDEN)

South Africa
 196 South Durban Community Environmental (SDCEA)

ASIA

Philippines
 197 SANLAKAS
 198 Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP)
 199 Aniban ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (AMA) or Union of Agricultural Workers

PARLAMENTARIANS
 1 Willy Meyer-Pleite, Diputado europeo por el GUE/NGL, Vice presidente de la Asamblea parlamentaria birregional EUROLAT, España
 2 Helmuth Markov, Miembro del Parlamento Europeo por el GUE/NGL, presidente de la Comisión de Comercio Exterior, Alemania
 3 Mikel Irujo Amezaga, Diputado al Parlamento Europeo Verdes/ALE, España
 4 Jens Holm, Diputado del parliamento Europeo,GUE/NGL y Miembro del Comité de Comercio Internacional (INTA), Suecia
 5 Charles Santiago, Miembro del Parliamento de Malaysia.
 6 Heike Hänsel, Miembro del Parlamento Alemán y vocera de políticas de desarrollo del grupo parliamentario del partido de izquierda.
 7 Gabriele Zimmer, Miembro del Parliamento Europeo GUE/ NGL, Alemania
 8 Alain Lipietz, Miembro del Parlamento Europeo Grupo de los Verdes/Alianza Libre Europea, Francia
 9 Raul Romeva, Diputado al Parlamento Europeo por los Verdes /EFA, España
 10 Ulrike Lunacek, Miembra del Parlamento de Austria