"libero scambio" Europa- Israele: NON ORA!

Da Luisa Morgantini
Ciao a tutte e tutti,

vi invito fortemente ad inviare ai parlamentari italiani al Parlamento in Europa, la lettera in Italiano, tradotta dal Alessandra Mecozzi e redatta dal ECCP, coordinamento europeo per la Palestina affinchè votino contro la proposta

di "libero scambio" Europa- Israele. Trovate qui sotto in inglese una sintesi su ciò che si andrà a votare.

La proposta si voterà prima in Commissione esteri e poi in Inta (commercio Internazionale) il 26 aprile, a Maggio dovrebbe andare in plenaria.

E' davvero urgente ed importante inviare lettera a tutti i nostri parlamentari europei, compresi quelli del Pdl. Naturalmente una più forte pressione andrebbe fatta su Idv e Pd.

Magari oltre alle lettere fate anche telefonate e chiedete di parlare con il parlamentare o ditelo o agli alle assistenti.

I numeri di telefono li trovate sempre sul sito.

Trovate i loro indirizzi e telefoni sul sito del parlamento europeo

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/it/performsearch.html

Dopo il trattato di Lisbona il voto del Parlamento Europeo è decisivo, se il parlamento vota contro, il Consiglio dei Ministri non può procedere.

Se si ottenesse il voto contrario, sarebbe davvero straordinario e di assoluta importanza visto che il no è legato alle violazioni dei diritti del popolo palestinese.

Un abbraccio.

Luisa Morgantini

Associazione per la pace

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URGENTE!!!!
CAre e cari,
dedicate un momento per favore a questa vicenda che riguarda la votazione prossima al Parlamento europeo dell'ACAA, ovvero di un accordo di "libero scambio" UE-Israele, in qualche modo un avanzamento dell'accordo di associazione. Socialisti, verdi e sinistra pare che voteranno contro. Mentre il gruppo dei liberali (ALDE) , che paraltro sostengono diritti palestinesi (Se ricordate niccolò Rinaldi ha partecipato a nostre iniziative su Palestina a Roma) essendo in assoluto favorevoli al libero commercio, voteranno a favore insieme a tutti gli altri di centro destra. Questo farà passare l'accordo, mentre la mancanza del loro voto non lo farebbe passare. E' tutto spiegato qui sotto in dettaglio in inglese, ma ho riassunto rapidamente in italiano il concetto.
La lista completa dei parlamentari europei la trovate più sotto, ovviamente si può scegliere, ma la pressione su socialisti, liberali e centro destra dovrebbe essere la più forte. Occorre mandare mail, richiamando alla coerenza tra le dichiarazioni sui principi fondamentali della UE nella sua politica verso altri paesi (trattato di Lisbona) e il voto ad un accordo che sarebbe di fatto un avanzamento delle realzioni UE con Israele, ovvero un paese che permanentemente viola principi e diritti umani fondamentali.
I due testi qui sotto, uno inglese dell'ECCP e uno in francese della'Associazione Belgo-Palestinese contengono gli elementi essenziali. Se qualcuno è in grado di tradurli in una più breve mail in italiano possiamo cominciare a farla girare e spedire ai parlamentari. Altrimenti vedo di farlo io la prossima settimana, perché sono in partenza per una riunione a milano domani.
CAri saluti
Alessandra

Dear all,

In March 2010, following the proposition of the European Commission, the European Council approved the signing of a protocol to the EU-Israel association agreement called ACAA (agreement on conformity assessment and acceptance of industrial products).

What is ACAA? ACAA is a mutual recognition agreement which will align the legislative systems of the EU and Israel, contribute to the eliminations of technical barriers to trade and therefore increase the accessibility of the EU’s markets to Israel and vice-versa. The sectors concerned by ACAA are machinery, electrical and construction products, toys,.. But most and foremost, ACAA is of crucial importance to Israel in the field of pharmaceuticals.

The decision of the Council was forwarded to the European Parliament for its consent. However, the committee of the European Parliament in charge of this agreement (INTA - international trade) decided to freeze the discussion on ACAA following the Israeli attack on the freedom flotilla.

A few months ago, INTA decided to "unfreeze” the discussions and asked the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament (AFET) to assess, in an opinion to be transmitted to INTA, the political context in which ACAA will be applied, assuming it is concluded.

The current balance of power, in the different Committees and the Parliament, when it comes to this agreement, is the following:
- The Socialists, the Greens and the European United Left are opposed to the agreement
- The 3 conservative groups (EPP, ECR and EFD) support the agreement
- The group of the Liberals (ALDE), quite supportive of the Palestinian cause, is this time likely to vote in favour of ACAA as its members consider that it's just a trade agreement.

Note that EPP, ECR and EFD hold together 356 seats (out of 753). They therefore need the support of the Liberals (85 seats) to adopt the agreement.

The timetable is the following:
- Discussion in AFET on the 27th of March
- Vote in AFET on the 24^th of April

(most likely outcome : the AFET Committee will give its green light, stating that ACAA is a purely technical agreement and that it should not be uses as a means to pressure Israel , see for example arguments used in this article: http://www.europolitics.info/social/europe-needs-access-to-high-quality-and-affordable-medicines-art326458-26.html).

- Vote in INTA on the 26^th of April

(most likely outcome : adoption of ACAA).

- Vote in plenary in May

(most likely outcome : adoption of ACAA).

We need a huge mobilisation to stop ACAA from being adopted. This is our last chance to step in and intervene in the decision-making process. ACAA is a highly symbolic agreement, and one of the very few subjected to the consent of the European Parliament. We can therefore obtain results by pressuring the Members of the European Parliament.

Could you please write to the Members of the European Parliament and activate your networks urging as many people as possible to lobby the European Parliament to block ACAA?

The full list of MEPs with their email addresses is available here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/full-list.html; you can also make a selection by country or political groups here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/search.html.

We should particularly insist upon the members of

- The Socialist group, in order to ensure they will not split during the vote
- The Liberals, the EPP, the ECR and the EFD and the non-aligned, to convince them that trade cannot outweigh human rights

For possible argumentation, please see below the statement of the ECCP in English, and the letter sent by the ABP (association belgo-palestinienne) in French.

If you have any question, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thank you very much for your support,

In friendship,

Katarzyna

Statement of the ECCP:

The EU-Israel ACAA agreement: the EU must be consistent with its own stated positions!

The Additional Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an EC-Israel Association on an EC-Israel Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (ACAA) is currently being debated at the European Parliament and is likely to be adopted. The adoption of ACAA would contribute to the elimination of technical barriers to trade, thereby increasing the accessibility of the EU’s markets to Israel which would benefit Israeli companies, many of which are known to conduct lucrative activities in the settlements, considered by the EU and the UN to be in breach of international law.

The ECCP calls upon the European Parliament to ensure respect for the Lisbon Treaty which promotes the need for consistency: “the Union's action on the international scene shall be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation, development and enlargement, and which it seeks to advance in the wider world: democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law… The Union shall ensure consistency between the different areas of its external action and between these and its other policies. The Council and the Commission, assisted by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, shall ensure that consistency and shall cooperate to that effect”.

Moreover, the “Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on Human Rights and Democracy at the Heart of EU External Action”, recently presented by Catherine Ashton, stipulates that “the EU’s trade and human rights agenda needs to be coherent, transparent, predictable, feasible and effective”.

When it comes to the stated positions of the EU on the Middle East, they could not be clearer - both in relation to Gaza and reiterated EU calls to lift the blockade, as well as the West Bank and the illegality of the settlements, which the EU considers to be an obstacle to peace. In addition, in the past months, three internal EU reports by the EU Heads of Missions in the OPT thoroughly described human rights violations committed by Israel in the West-Bank (including East-Jerusalem) and against the Palestinian citizens of Israel itself.

In this context, the consistent trade policy regarding Israel would be rejection of the ACAA, or any other agreement, that would in any manner benefit Israel and/or its industries. This is a question of credibility, accountability and justice. We therefore urge you not to consider those values as irrelevant or subordinate to short-term trade interests. At stake are the EU’s long-term strategic interests, as well as its credibility as defenders of human rights.

For all the reasons stated above, ECCP is calling for the unambiguous rejection of the EU-Israel Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products.

Letter of the ABP:

Madame la députée,

Monsieur le député,

Comme vous le savez certainement, le Protocole additionnel ACAA fait l’objet de discussions en ce moment au sein des Commissions des Affaires Etrangères et du Commerce International du Parlement Européen. Ce Protocole additionnel permettrait de renforcer les relations UE-Israël en facilitant l’accès des produits industriels israéliens au marché européen grâce à une seule et unique procédure de certification.

Ceci est très grave : les violations répétées des droits de l’homme et du droit international par Israël sont répertoriées aussi bien par les institutions internationales (ONU, Banque mondiale etc .) que par EU elle-même comme le prouve le dernier rapport des chefs de missions en poste à Jérusalem.

Or, selon le Traité de Lisbonne, « L'action de l'Union sur la scène internationale repose sur les principes qui ont présidé à sa création, à son développement et à son élargissement et qu'elle (=l’UE) vise à promouvoir dans le reste du monde: la démocratie, l'État de droit, l'universalité et l'indivisibilité des droits de l'homme et des libertés fondamentales, le respect de la dignité humaine, les principes d'égalité et de solidarité et le respect des principes de la charte des Nations unies et du droit international. »

De plus, le Traité de Lisbonne ajoute : « L'Union veille à la cohérence entre les différents domaines de son action extérieure et entre ceux-ci et ses autres politiques.» Ce principe est répété dans la communication conjointe adressée au Parlement et au Conseil des droits et de la démocratie, présentée par Catherine Ashton en décembre 2010 : « l’agenda commercial et celui des droits de l’homme de l’UE doivent être cohérents, transparents, prévisibles, réalisables et efficaces. »

Or les positions de l’UE sur le processus de paix au Moyen-Orient, sont claires qu’il s’agisse de la bande Gaza dont l’UE demande la levée du blocus ou de la Cisjordanie et des colonies que l’UE considère comme un obstacle à la paix. Par ailleurs, ces derniers mois, trois rapports internes des chefs de mission de l’UE dans les Territoires occupés décrivent dans les détails les violations des droits de l’homme commises par Israël en Cisjordanie (Jérusalem-est incluse) et en Israël contre le peuple palestinien.

Les conclusions du Conseil d’Association UE-Israël de février 2011 mentionnaient déjà des situations que l’UE considère comme en contradiction avec le droit international et au regard de ses propres dispositions et engagements légaux, à savoir :

- la poursuite de la colonisation dans les Territoires occupés (par. 7 et 8)

- le blocus de Gaza (par.11)

- le droit des minorités israéliennes (par. 20)

- les ONG (par.27)

Dans ce contexte, la cohérence implique que l’on rejette l’accord ACAA et tout accord qui profiterait à Israël et à ses industries. C’est une question de crédibilité, de responsabilité et de justice. Valeurs qui ne peuvent être mises sous le boisseau pour une politique commerciale à court terme. Il s’agit de ne pas oublier non plus qu’en cette période de mutation dans le monde arabe, l’UE sera jugée sur ses actes et non sur ses déclarations de principe. Il serait absolument incompréhensible que le Parlement européen, et les députés qui nous représentent dans cet hémicycle, ferment les yeux sur les violations multiples et répétées commises par Israël dans la région et fassent passer la politique commerciale de l’UE avant ses engagements en termes des droits de l’Homme, de justice, et de respect du droit international.

En vous remerciant pour l’attention particulière que vous accorderez à cette requête, je vous prie de croire, Madame, Monsieur, en l’expression de nos meilleures salutations.

-- 
Katarzyna Lemanska
Coordinator
European Coordination of Associations and Committees for Palestine
115 Rue Stevin, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel : 00 32 (0)2 230 28 48

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