Further to my earlier PS here's some details:
>Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1998 17:45:12 +0100
>From: Helmut Weixler <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Press Release: MAI: French Govennment withdraws
>Mime-Version: 1.0
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>
>THE GREENS in the European Parliament
>
>Press Release
>
>Brussels, 14 October 1998
>
>
>Greens welcome French Government's decision to abandon negotiations on MAI
>
>A Victory for a Long Green Campaign Against MAI
>
>The Greens in the European Parliament today welcomed the declaration of
>French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin that France will not participate in
>negotiations on the Multilateral Agreement on Investments (MAI), scheduled
>to resume 20 October after an interruption for 6 months.
>
>"This is a great victory for the Greens, the NGOs and the European
>Parliament who campaigned together against the MAI for many months," said
>Magda Aelvoet, President of the Green Group in the European Parliament.
>"With his declaration Jospin has acknowledged the validity of the
>criticisms which the Greens have made about the MAI. We hope that this is
>the fatal blow for an agreement which was negotiated behind closed doors
>and would have reduced the sovereignty of states in favour of private
>investors, and would not have respected social, environmental and cultural
>rights."
>
>The Greens were prominent participants in the fight against the MAI. A
>Green MEP, Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler (Germany), was the author of a very
>critical report on the MAI which was adopted by the European Parliament in
>March 1998 by a large majority. This was the first resolution to be
>adopted by a democratically-elected body about the draft Agreement. "All
>our criticisms in this report have been proved to be all too justified,"
>said Kreissl-Dörfler. "Now we have won a decisive battle but still not the
>war. The Greens hope that the incoming German government will follow the
>French example and withdraw from the negotiations on the MAI too."
>
>"Jospin has underscored the Greens´ analysis that the basic construction
>of the MAI is irremediably flawed," said Green MEP Paul Lannoye (Belgium).
>"Finally, one government has recognised that they were irretrievably
>transferring a large part of their sovereignty to private investors who
>would have been accountable to nobody." Lannoye added: "The Greens are not
>against a regulatory framework for investors, as long as it is based on
>respect for environmental and social rights, and which is negotiated in a
>transparent way with the involvement of the democratic institutions,
>including the European and other Parliaments. Negotiations based on these
>principles should be taken up as soon as possible."
>
>Magda Aelvoet announced that the Greens will put forward questions to the
>Council and the EU Commission on their view of the future of the MAI in
>the November session of the European Parliament. "We will continue our
>fight against the MAI until it is definitely abandoned," Aelvoet said.
>
>******************************
>Press Service
>of the Green Group
>in the European Parliament
>*******************************
>Helmut WEIXLER
>phone:+32-2-284 4683
>fax: +32-2-284 4944
>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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>+ Regards, [log in to unmask] +
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
David.
"Strike for indolence and spiritual beauty!"
Hakim Bey.
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