Fair Trade campaigners take protest to streets
Campaigners demanding fairer trade deals between Africa and Europe will take their protest to the streets of Dublin today.
Marking a global day of action across 41 countries, charity workers will demonstrate outside the German Embassy calling for new negotiations.
The Trade Matters coalition claim current deals struck by the European Union risk locking poor countries, particularly in Africa, into poverty.
The group claim EU leaders including Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are to blame for forcing these contracts on smaller less powerful countries.
They insist that as Germany holds the Presidency of the EU it is in a key position of influence to prevent unfair deals.
Thousands of people including farmers, workers and charity members in 40 other countries around the world are expected to join the campaign targeting German embassies across Europe, the Pacific and Caribbean.
Trade Matters is made up of members of Christian Aid, Comhlamh, Friends of the Earth, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Oxfam Ireland and Trócaire.
After the protest representatives from the agencies will meet with the Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy to highlight their concerns.
New Economic Partnership Agreements, replacing old trade deals, are due to come into effect at the end of the year.
Agreed between the EU and 75 former European colonies known as the African, Caribbean and Pacific (APC) group they will give former colonies access to European markets while giving European firms duty-free access to 90% of the ACP markets.
