Press Conference - EU-India Trade Talks

Asia Europe People's Forum, Belgian Platform for Action on Health and Solidarity, Corporate Europe Observatory, India FDI Watch, Programme on Women's Economic Social and Cultural Rights, WIDE network Tuesday 5 October 2010, 10-11 am Residence Palace – International Press Centre (Room Salon, ground floor) Rue de la Loi 155 – Bloc C – 1040 Brussels On Tuesday, 5 October 2010, Indian and European civil society groups and movements will highlight the lack of transparency and business bias in the talks between the EU and India on a free trade agreement, and the threat to livelihoods it represents. They will call for an immediate halt to the negotiations which resume behind closed doors on 6-8 October 2010. The negotiations aim at a trade deal which seeks to increase access to markets but will expose farmers, street vendors, and small businesses to crushing competition and lead to livelihood losses and increased pressure on labour standards. Plans to strengthen intellectual property rights will endanger the availability of affordable drugs for the treatment of AIDS, malaria and cancer. Women will be worst affected by the agreement. Speakers: Dharmendra Kumar, director of India FDI Watch, based in Delhi, co-author of the report “Trade Invaders. How Big Business is Driving the EU-India Trade Negotiations”, September 2010 Wim De Ceukelaire, MD, Belgian Platform for Action on Health and Solidarity, co-author of the platform's report “The EU's bilateral FTA Negotiations are a Threat to the Right to health”, April 2010 Priti Darooka, Executive Director of PWESCR, a human rights organisation addressing issues connected with women’s poverty Facilitation: Christa Wichterich, journalist Press conference language: English Languages available for interviews: English, French, Dutch, German For more information, contact: Natalie Giorgadze (WIDE): ++32 2 545 90 70, natalie@wide-network.org Kathy Cumming (Asia Europe People's Forum): ++31 657 184 159, kathy.cumming@tni.org Please find venue access and location information here: http://www.residencepalace.be/en/wegbeschrijving.html