Mandelson's trade plans 'break international law'

Thursday, 1 September 2005 12:00 AM

European Union trade commissioner Peter Mandelson could be breaking international law by undermining alternatives to his trade plans, experts have said.

Kate Cook, a former government lawyer who now works for Matrix Chambers, has said Mr Mandelson's uncompromising position could breach treaty obligations to African, Caribbean and Pacific nations.

The legal advice to charity ActionAid says the trade commissioner is violating a trade and development treaty made with these countries that obliged the EU to consider alternatives to its plans.

"Peter Mandelson is breaking international law by rubbishing alternatives to economic partnership agreements and Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schroder are letting him get away with it," said ActionAid trade policy officer Tom Sharman.

"But it is not too late for the EU to scrap plans to force open African markets and start proper discussions on a trade deal that puts poor people before big business."

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