· EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy 
· Full Members of the Committee 133: 
· Mr Josef MAYER, Sektionschef, Bundesministerium für Wirtschaftliche Angelegenheiten, AUSTRIA
· M. Charles GHISLAIN, Ambassador, Ministère des Affaires étrangères, du Commerce extérieur et de la Coopération internationale, BELGIUM
· Mr Niels Henrik SLIBEN, Ambassador, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DENMARK
· Mr Pekka LINTU, Under-Secretary of State for Economic Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FINLAND
· Dr Karl-Ernst BRAUNER, Ministerialdirektor, Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie, GERMANY
· M. Jean-François STOLL, Ministère de l'Economie, des Finances et de l'Industrie Directeur des Relations Economiques Extérieures, FRANCE
· M. Vassilis KANELLAKIS, Direction Générale pour la Planification et la Gestion de Politique, Secrétariat Général des Relations Internationales Ministère de l'Economie Nationale, Greece
· Mr Tony JOYCE, Principal Officer Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ireland
· M. Mario GERBINO, Directeur Général, Ministère du Commerce Extérieur, ITALY
· M. Jean FALTZ, Directeur des Relations Economiques Internationales, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, LUXEMBOURG
· Mr Dick BRUINSMA, Director General, Ministry of Economic Affairs, THE NETHERLANDS
· Mr João Paulo PALHA, Principal Adviser, General Directorate for European Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PORTUGAL
· Mr Francisco UTRERA MORA, Secretary-General for External Trade at the State Secretariat for Trade, SPAIN
· Mr Mats RINGBORG, Director-General for Foreign Trade, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, SWEDEN
· European Commission: Mr. Peter CARL, Mr. Herve JOUANJEAN, DG Trade
· Council Secretariat: Mr. Jacques BRODIN, Mr. André DONNADO

7 May 2002

OPEN LETTER TO COMMISSIONER LAMY AND EU MEMBER STATES ON EU GENERAL AGREEMENTS ON TRADE IN SERVICES (GATS) REQUESTS

Dear Commissioner Lamy, dear Committee 133 members, 

The EU, in particular the European Commission's Directorate General Trade and the Committee 133, is at the centre of the GATS "request-offer" process, developing a common position on services liberalisation for the 15 EU member States. The requests now being made to non-EU member States, as well as the requests now being received by the EU from other members have profound implications for citizens everywhere, yet this process has so far been undertaken entirely by the European Commission and the Committee 133 under conditions of total opacity.

As you might know, some NGOs, MEPs and the media have obtained a first list of twenty-nine draft EU proposals which request that specific countries increase their GATS commitments in a whole range of sectors. The range of sectors included in these proposals raises concerns about the social, economic, environmental and developmental threats of the services negotiations. We know that more requests are currently being prepared behind closed doors, and will be finalised in the coming months in time for the 30 June 2002 negotiating benchmark. 

We are deeply concerned about the lack of transparency around the GATS decision-making process as a whole. So far it has denied the public necessary information and thereby prevented any possibility of citizen oversight or control. Transparency is essential because of the crucial role services, particularly public services, play in all societies. As you are aware, the European Parliament has no right to co-decide on these issues but only to advise and in the present case even that limited right is being denied. We also regret that business interests are far more closely involved and informed concerning the GATS process than other elements of civil society.

For these reasons, we ask both the Commission and our individual governments to institute a transparent process concerning the GATS negotiations. This would imply publication of all request proposals sent by the EU to other WTO members. This must then be followed by transparency in the 'offers' phase of negotiations. We first ask that the European Commission and each member state makes available to parliament and public, details of the requests that have been made to the EC by other WTO members in the current phase of negotiations. This must then be followed by full transparency and real consultation in the EC's offer-making process. 

To begin with May 30th is a reasonable deadline for posting the information currently available about the EC's requests on the EU website and for governments to make this information directly available to all concerned ministries and to national parliaments. The European Parliament should also be kept fully informed. 

Liberalisation and market opening of services are sensitive. Our view is that no such opening should take place under GATS without full public disclosure and debate. We refuse to be confronted with a "fait accompli".

Finally, we once more urge you to undertake, in co-operation with members of civil society, a full evaluation and impact assessment of the consequences of the current or proposed GATS obligations BEFORE proceeding with further GATS commitments. 

Yours faithfully,

1. +ACI-UK GATS Network+ACI-, UK
2. AGEZ (Working Association for Development Cooperation), Austria
3. Amici della Terra, Italy
4. Anti-Globalisation Network, UK and International
5. Association pour la Paix, Belgium 
6. ATTAC Austria
7. ATTAC Belgium
8. ATTAC Catalunya
9. ATTAC Denmark
10. ATTAC Finland
11. ATTAC France
12. ATTAC-Helles, Greece
13. ATTAC Italia
14. ATTAC Ireland
15. ATTAC London
16. ATTAC Munich
17. ATTAC Sweden
18. ATTAC-País Valencià, Spain
19. ATTAC Sevilla
20. ATTAC UK
21. ATTAC Vlaanderen
22. Abergavenny and Crickhowell FOE local group, UK
23. Alternative to the EU, Finland
24. Bond Beter Leefmilieu, Belgium
25. Both ENDS, Netherlands
26. Brighton and Hove Trade Justice Movement (a coalition of local groups of the World Development Movement, Oxfam, Friends of the Earth, People and Planet and Christian Aid), UK
27. Buendnis fuer Eine Welt /OeIE, Austria
28. Buergerwelle e.V. - Dachverband der Buerger und Initiativen zum Schutz vor Elektrosmog, head organization of citizens and action groups for protection against Esmog, Germany
29. BUND, Germany
30. Burslem Bible Centre, England
31. CADTM, Belgium
32. Campagna per la Riforma della Banca Mondiale, Italy
33. Center for Encounters and Active Non-violence, Bad Ischl, Austria
34. Coalition of the Flemish North-South Movement - 11.11.11., Belgium
35. Comité Afrique australe/Southern Africa Committee, Belgium
36. CODEWES, Comité voor de Opheffing van de Derde Wereldschul, Belgium
37. Comitato Scientifico Antivivisezionista, Rome, Italy
38. Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), the Netherlands
39. Dachverband entwicklungspolitischer Organisationen in Kärnten (Umbrella Organization of Development Policy Organizations), Austria
40. DAL Fédération, France
41. Devizes & Marlborough Friends of the Earth, UK
42. FIAN (Food First Information and Action Network), Austria
43. FORUM SYD ,Sweden
44. Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland
45. Friends of the Earth Europe
46. Fylde Mid Suffolk Friends of the Earth, UK
47. Informationsgruppe Lateinamerika (IGLA), Austria
48. K.U.L.U.-Women and Development, Denmark
49. MSOLA - JPIC NetworkMSOLA - JPIC Network
50. National Federation of Women's Institutes, England & Wales
51. La Fédération CFDT Banques, France
52. Leeds Central WDM, UK
53. Les Amis de la Terre, France
54. Le syndicat SUD ANPE, France
55. Maan ystävät ry (Friends of the Earth Finland)
56. Miljöförbundet Jordens Vänner (Friends of the Earth Sweden)
57. National Federation of Women's Institutes, England & Wales
58. NOVIB, Oxfam Netherlands
59. North Leeds Oxfam Group, UK
60. North Staffordshire World Development Action Group, England
61. Nottingham Friends of the Earth,UK
62. Milieudefensie, Netherlands
63. Oxfam Solidarity, Belgium
64. Oxfam GB
65. Pembrokeshire local FoE group, Wales
66. People and Planet, Sussex
67. People and Planet, UK
68. Public Services International, France
69. Reading Trade Justice Group, Reading, Berkshire, UK.
70. Real World Group, UK
71. Rete di Lilliput per un'economia di giustizia, Italy
72. SOMO (Foundation for Research on Multinationals), Netherlands
73. Salzburg Forum against MAI/ WTO, Austria
74. South East Essex Green Party, UK
75. Tearfund, UK
76. Transnational Institute, Netherlands
77. Tresam, Gothenburg, Sweden
78. TU federation (Gewerkschaft der Gemeindebediensteten - gdg - Municipal Workers' Union), Austria
79. URFIG, France
80. Umweltdachverband, (umbrella of environmental organisations), Austria
81. UNION SYNDICALE-G10 SOLIDAIRES, France
82. Utbildning för biståndsverksamhet, (Education for Aid Activities), Sweden
83. VABIKU - weltumspannend arbeiten, Austria
84. VMD-Leiden (FoE-NL), Netherlands
85. Weltladen Villach, Austria
86. Werkgroep Globalisering Delft-Den Haag, Netherlands
87. Working Group on Trade & Finance, Lilliput Network, Italy
88. World Development Movement - Brighton and Hove Branch, UK
89. World Development Movement, UK
90. WEED, Germany
91. X minus Y Solidarity Fund, Amsterdam, Netherlands