Archived press release

Will Business Be Pulling Mandelson's Strings in Europe

8 November 2004

Peter Mandelson addresses CBI conference in Birmingham

Friends of the Earth and the World Development Movement today called for a rethink of the appointment of Peter Mandelson to the post of Trade Commissioner. The twice-disgraced former Minister will today (Monday) address the CBI annual conference in Birmingham.

The organisations are demanding that that the window of opportunity opened up at the EU by the withdrawal of Rocco Buttiglione should be used to question whether Mr Mandelson is really the right person for the job. They will protest outside the CBI conference by portraying Mr Mandelson as a 'corporate puppet' with his strings pulled by big business.

Friends of the Earth's Trade Campaigner Eve Mitchell said:

"As European Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson will play a crucial role in on-going international trade negotiations. It is essential that his role is not tainted by connections with big business - and that the whole process of trade policy within Europe is made more transparent and accountable".

Environment and development groups have called for a radical overhaul of Europe's trade policy to give more protection to people and the environment. They warn that Mandelson's commitment to the agenda set by his predecessor, Pascal Lamy, would perpetuate the current business bias which puts business advantage above the needs of people and the environment. The collapse of trade talks in Cancun last September was caused by the EU's devotion to a pro-business agenda in international trade by pushing a raft of new free trade agreements against the wishes of the developing world.

Campaigners are calling for greater transparency within the trade negotiating process at a European and international level, and an end to the privileged access given to corporate lobby groups by the European Commission.

WDM's Head of Policy Peter Hardstaff said:

"We need to ask: is this the right person to lead a radical rethink of EU trade policy away from the demands of big business and a transformation of the relationship between the Commission and corporate lobby groups? We think that what we know of Peter Mandelson and what he has said in his hearings strongly suggests that the answer is no. It is a shame that the crisis around Rocco Buttiglione and other proposed commissioners has allowed Peter Mandelson to be seen as an uncontroversial appointment.

"Peter Mandelson has an established reputation as an arch free trader and someone with an intimate relationship with the business community. For too long European trade policy has put the needs of big business before the needs of the developing world and the planet. We think it highly unlikely that Peter Mandelson is the best person to change this state of affairs. The fact that he is addressing the CBI conference before has even been formally appointed illustrates the closeness of this relationship and only adds to our concerns."

Following Mr Mandelson's questioning by at the European Parliament, Green MEPs said they wanted a "clear commitment from the Commissioner-designate that he will tackle the secret culture of corporate lobbying on trade matters and introduce a system of transparent registers."

One group of MEPs has already opposed Mandelson's appointment. In a letter to the President of the European Parliament last month (4 October) the United Left Group of said: "he has not shown a single imaginative idea on how to begin to realize this change of orientation of the trade negotiations to reduce the gap between developing and industrialized countries, and the gap between rich and poor within the countries themselves...We suspect that his development-friendly rhetoric was just designed to meet the expectations of the audience...There was no hint of a proposal for fairer trade, nor any proposal for change of the international system that might lead to a better consideration of social and environmental concerns."

Earlier this month 50 civil society organisations from across Europe wrote to José Manuel Barroso, demanding action to control "excessive influence of corporate lobby groups over EU policy-making" and calling on him to "make a clean break with the undemocratic practices developed by your predecessors."

Further information:
www.foe.co.uk/resource/media_briefing/mandelsontradebrief.pdf (PDF format)
www.corporateeurope.org/Mandelsonindenial.html
www.corporateeurope.org/barroso.html

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust