Colombia: Energetic evidence against ministers of Commerce and Agriculture for shunning the debate on the FTA with the EU http://www.bilaterals.org/spip.php?article17342

Press Office of Senator Jorge Enrique Robledo, Bogotá, May 11, 2010  More than 400 thousand families are condemned to ruin by the FTA with the European Union. In contrast, the EU subsidizes its producers with more than 100 billion dollars a year. We call for support for a democratic protest called by Fedegan for next May 19.

Senator Jorge Enrique Robledo left the meeting today in a strong record against the Minister of Trade Luis Guillermo Plata, and the Minister of Agriculture, Andrés Fernández, who have been evading the debate scheduled for today on the FTA with the European Union.He said the minister Silver took about a month off to escape a similar debate cited by the Senate Committee II. The attitude of the ministers not only violates the law but also excuses himself as it was the Trade Minister himself who asked to postpone the debate that was to advance on 27 April and who proposed to adress it for May 11.

Why the government is afraid to stand up to Congress and the country, asked the senator from Polo Democrático. First, because SAC, Fedegan Analac, Colanta, the Committees of Agriculture Livestock and Salvation have been claiming that the FTA with the European Union is going to cause a slaughter among small and medium farmers.Unions have stated more dairy imports from Europe could lead to the bankruptcy of more than 400 000 families, most producers left out in the cold and ruined by free trade in wheat and barley. They have no way to compete, because if there is something powerful in the world market for the dairy industry is the European Union, which subsidizes its farmers with more than 100 billion dollars a year. 

And second, because the government of Colombia is struggling to sign the Treaty on 19th May, and its  protocols. "It  will do so unnecessarily, he added, because if you do not sign it, nothing happens. It still remains to be translated it into all EU languages and combining the final drafting of  text still remains. Robledo supported the call made by Fedegan to farmers for the next meet May 19 to protest against the Treaty and to demand the government not to lend itself to sign. At the same time,he called on Congress and the entire country into a great unity in defending the national dairy industry. "Nearly half a million families into ruin is not a minor matter," he said.