Farming Matters!
'Food for Thought'

The World Development Movement (WDM) launched its campaign against the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) in 2000. GATS was at the time a little known trade treaty, initiated in 1995 with plans due to begin in February 2000. The agreement on trade in services was due to be signed in late 2004. Basic services such as health care and water supply would have been included and affected, with the developing countries being worst hit by privatisation of basic necessities.

The EU had the opening up of water supply to foreign companies as one of their aims under GATS in 2000. Following much publicity and campaigning by WDM and other organisations the EU now will not be pushing for commitments from developing countries in the current round of talks. Reports from the WTO's headquarters in Geneva show that no country has signed up to put its water supply under the GATS.

From being a little known issue GATS has become widely discussed and pressure has built up as the unfairness of the proposals has been revealed. Signing up irreversibly to opening up basic services like water and transport to foreign companies as 'development' is being opposed. Discussions are now far more open and negotiating documents are now made public. WDM is continuing to monitor and campaign on the issues in the run up to the next ministerial meeting of the WTO due in December 2005.

See the WDM website if you want to know more about GATS and the WDM campaign, or use the search facility at the top of the main index