The Czechs want Doha for the EU

Posted on January 9 2009

It's very obvious that the GATS process that is part of the Doha trade negotiations would prevent any of the state interventions now taking place to save our banks and economies. And yet the Czechs, as current presidents of Europe, say in their planning document for their presidency:

The forum, and simultaneously the tool, for the promotion of these objectives on the multilateral level is the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The Czech Presidency attributes great significance to the successful implementation of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). The DDA represents the efforts to achieve transparent liberalisation of trade on the multilateral level, which will bring about long-term advantages.

This is pure folly. People. Nation states. Economies. They all come before the rights of companies. This agreement has got all of that the wrong way round.

It has to be stopped.

Thanks for reading this post.
You can share this post on social media of your choice by clicking these icons:

You can subscribe to this blog's daily email here.

And if you would like to support this blog you can, here:

3

3 Responses

  1. Carol Wilcox says:
    January 9 2009 at 4:33 pm

    Hi Richard, Happy New Year to you and yours.

    Did you read the Vaclav Klaus article in Wed’s FT? I note that TimW was singing its praises – no wonder – they are blood brothers. Thankfully I don’t see him getting too much support in EU. I hope to see him soundly ridiculed. He sounds like Berlusconi without the makeup (and billions). Unsurprisingly, he’s a climate change denier to boot.

    I have a few Czech friends who are horrified at their govt’s NATO manoeuvres. One wonders what the opposition is like in CR if this is what they elected.

  2. Tax Research LLP says:
    January 9 2009 at 5:30 pm

    Thanks Carol

    And greetings to you!

    Richard

  3. Georges says:
    January 10 2009 at 10:11 pm

    Carol,

    Odd thing:

    People. Nation states. Economies. They all come before the rights of companies.

    Klaus puts the very same things before the rights of the EU institutions. One supposes that people, nation states, and economies are firmly at the end of the list when it comes to bigger/more governmentalism.

    Lotto opportunity, do name the last holder of the six-month EU Rota who actually accomplished anything of any consequence. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?