Welcome to the globaleuropewatch. This website has been set up to unite activists across Europe in their common struggles to stop Europe’s corporate takeover across the world.
The term Global Europe, refers to the Europe Union’s strategy to secure markets for its companies around the world. A strategy that will make profit for big business at the expense of poor countries. Not only will they not be able to trade but it will also impact in terms of development, climate change, employment rights, gender, migration and energy security to name but a few.
This site acts as a portal to find out about campaigning activities happening across the continent. By country or by issue you will be directed to where you can find more information and take action.
There is huge momentum across Europe to challenge this corporate take over, and you can be part of it. We need to stop the push for a Global Europe.
Gender
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Environment
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Trade
The Global Europe Strategy is focussed on securing global markets for European businesses.
Europe is now proposing a fundamental shift from negotiating trade deals multilaterally through the World Trade Organisation (WTO), to negotiating trade agreements bilaterally between countries and/or regions. This type of trade deals is also known as a Free Trade Agreements (FTA).
The main objective of Global Europe is currently to conclude the “new generation” of bilateral trade deals with major emerging economies such as India and Brazil. This new round of deals cover 34 countries across Latin America, Asia and the Mediterranean. 920 million live in poverty in these regions and are unlikely to see any benefits from these agreements. In all these regions resistance against these deals is growing stronger and stronger. People in Europe need to add their voices to this struggle.
Labour Rights
The Global Europe Strategy will be damaging for labour rights. Previous trade deals that the European Union has signed have been associated with job losses, decreased wages and increasing inequality. The Global Europe strategy will not only affect jobs in target countries, but also across Europe.
Unions will be a key group to mobilise resistance by workers against this Global Europe.
Corporates
European corporations have been heavily involved in developing the Global Europe Strategy. BusinessEurope, the largest business lobby in Brussels was officially included in drafting process of the Global Europe Communication. The European Commission also formally consulted with a number of other European businesses. Over 15,000 people are employed in Brussels to lobby on behalf of businesses and they have been very successful in securing pro-business policies.
Global Europe, or rather, “Global Europe - Competing in the World”, is a policy document that the European Union (EU) published in 2006 that sets out a new vision for its external trade and economic policy.
“Global Europe” aims to make Europe on of the most competitive regions in the world. This complements Europe’s existing Lisbon agenda, launched in 2000 to look at internal aspects of these reforms reforms. The interests of European transnational corporations (TNCs) are at the heart of this agenda.
Global Europe proposes a fundamental shift from negotiating trade deals multilaterally, under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), to negotiating trade agreements on a bilateral basis – otherwise known as Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
The main objective of Global Europe is currently to conclude the “new generation” of bilateral FTAs with major emerging economies such as India and Brazil. The EU is trying to secure deals with terms that were opposed by trading partners in the WTO forum to secure new and profitable markets.
The aggressive language of the Global Europe Strategy marks a profound shift from the Commission’s typically technical approach. Globalisation is no longer seen as a challenge, but as a threat to the Union in an ever-changing world-order. Difference between trading partners therefore should no longer concern the EU and access to their markets and resources should be pursued indiscriminately, if Europe does not want to lose ground to the US, China and India.
The strategy goes on to point out that such an agenda has, and must have, implications for all policy areas of the EU in addition to trade, including employment and social rights, agriculture, development, external relations, energy and natural resources, environment, health and consumer protection.
In this respect, the Communication on Global Europe can be read as the political manifesto of a neo-liberal vision for Europe in the 21st century.