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Recap Alternative trade mandate debate
On Thursday February 2 Otherwise organised a debate introducing the Alternative Trade Mandate as an alternative vision to trade agreements as they are currently drafted. Mirit Hoek wrote a small recap of this event for OtherWise!
What is economy? What is Trade? What should be its function in society and how should it be regulated? These questions were the topic during the debate behind TTIP on the 2nd of February.
Three different interesting speakers were present;
- Gerrit Stegehuis from Platform Duurzame en Solidaire Economie
- Bart Jaap Verbeek from Milieudefensie - Economy team
- And Guus Geurts from Platform Aarde Boer Consument, co-creator Alternative Trade Mandate
It was an interesting evening. Some background and history was given about economy and trade; how it works, what has been done and achieved in the past, how did we end up in the situation where we are today and what are the thoughts behind creating different trade agreements etc. Of course TTIP and CETA came by several times as examples. However more important The Alternative Trade Mandate was discussed. How can we do it different? How can we make trade more fair? What needs to be changed? And how? The Alternative Trade Mandate wants to develop an alternative vision of European trade policy that puts people and planet before big business.
To establish fairer and more democratic societies not only a change in the EU’s trade and investment policies has to be made, but also the way in which decisions about trade and investment are made should change. People need to have democratic control over the EU’s trade and investment policy process. Different problems and possible solutions were given and of course this also gave some debate amongst the audience. The audience shared their ideas and were optimistic about these alternative plans. It was great to have an open debate on the future of EU trade in Wageningen.
