WTO Disregards Environment, Settles for Corporate Interests
11/29/99
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Title: WTO RULES: THE RECORD
Source: Institute for Public Accuracy, http://www.accuracy.org
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: November 29, 1999
SEATTLE - Since its founding five years ago, the World Trade
Organization has consistently settled trade disputes in favor of
corporate interests, frequently deeming labor and environmental
regulations "non-tariff trade barriers." Conflicts between countries
are decided by three unelected WTO officials in Geneva in secretive
proceedings. With each nation challenging or threatening to challenge
each other's regulations on labor, environment, human rights and
consumer protection, many see a "race to the bottom" - with WTO rules
compelling each country to shed their best attributes and promote
their worst. Among the cases WTO rules have affected:
* Sea Turtles and the U.S. Endangered Species Act: The WTO ruled
against regulations of the Endangered Species Act that prohibit
importing shrimp from countries unless they require shrimpers to
equip their nets with inexpensive turtle-excluder devices. The U.S.
State Department has proposed a weakening of the regulation to comply
with the WTO ruling.
* Genetically Modified Foods: Europe, Japan and Australia, worried
about the safety of genetically modified food for humans and the
environment, have begun to require labeling of such foods until more
is known about their effects. The U.S. government has threatened to
bring action against this using WTO rules, but has not yet done so.
* Artificial Hormone Residues in Beef: The WTO ruled against a ban on
beef containing artificial hormone residues on the grounds that human
health impacts of residues in meat have not yet been established;
however, the actual hormones pose well-known human health risks. The
WTO levied over $100 million in sanctions after the European Union
refused to accept the beef.
* Gerber Labeling of Baby Formula in Guatemala: Guatemala implemented
a UN Children's Fund code which bans the packaging of infant formula
with labels depicting healthy, fat babies, lest mothers associate
formula with healthy infants and stop breast-feeding. Gerber, whose
trademarked logo includes a pudgy baby, refused. Guatemala, faced
with the prospect of a costly fight, backed down.
The following analysts are available for interviews:
Michelle Sforza of Public Citizen, co-author of "Whose Trade
Organization? Corporate Globalization and the Erosion of Democracy,"
www.tradewatch.org, www.seattle99.org
Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, Martin Wagner, Patti Goldman,
www.earthjustice.org
Kristin Dawkins, program director at the Institute for Agriculture
and Trade Policy, kdawkins@iatp.org, www.wtowatch.org
Peter Fugazzotto, associate director of the Sea Turtle Restoration
Project, fuga@igc.org, www.seaturtles.org
For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (206) 770-9544 or (202) 347-0020; David Zupan, (541)
484-9167