SchNEWS: Published in Brighton by Justice! - Brighton's Direct Action collective

FRIDAY 24th November, 2000

YOU'VE BEEN TABD

"A unique, business-driven process. Helping to shape US-EU trade policy" -Transatlantic Business Dialogue website:  http://www.tabd.org/

What with people congregating in The Hague this week to turn up the heat on the Climate Change Conference, you could be forgiven for having missed an interesting little bit of bother last weekend in downtown Cincinnati.

Tucked away in the sleepy Ohio city, a high-level meeting of the Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD) was overshadowed by clashes between police and anti-globalisation demonstrators. It was the first protests in the organisation's 6-year history with over 100 riot police ringing the conference hotel for the duration of the two-day meeting, with 47 people nicked during largely peaceful demonstrations.

If you've never heard of the TABD, you're not alone. They like it that way. The TABD has, since 1995, brought together over 100 captains of industry from the US and EU to push for the removal of all 'barriers' to transatlantic free trade- including such nuisances as the European eco-labelling system and restrictions on marketing GM products.

The brainchild of Tory lard-arse Leon Brittan, the TABD is basically a direct line between multinational corporations and US and EU governments; a direct line that conveniently misses out other little 'nuisances' like public discussion and democracy. They are cocky enough to present their demands in the form of a 'scorecard', with priorities and deadlines for action; they're cocky because governments queue up to carry out their recommendations. And they've shown little interest in listening to people with different ideas. As ex-TABD Director Stephen Johnston said, businesses would soon get fed up "if they have to sit down and spend half an afternoon arguing with environmentalists."

But now they may have to change their tune. Most of last weekend's meeting was spent debating how better to convince the public of the merits of free trade. "We have a selling job" said EU trade commissioner Pascal Lamy "We need to find new ways of getting across the benefits of globalisation". George David, US co-chair of TABD, admitted "we would be foolish to fail to listen to these demonstrators and their views". Although undoubtedly 'greenwash', such statements highlight the TABD's discomfort at being dragged into the anti-globalisation spotlight. Fears of protest may now have temporarily scuppered one of its highest priorities- a 'mutual recognition agreement' whereby a product approved in one country would be given automatic approval by others. No community would be able to set standards higher than ones set internationally under the guidance of transnationals. But the discussions ended in stalemate because US agencies have become scared of anti-capitalist opposition.

In Cincinnati, citizen's groups and other protesters held 'teach-ins', workshops, pickets and other activities to get local people up to speed on the facts whilst panicky cops nicked people for things like jaywalking. "They [TABD] are terrified of the NGO's" said an EU official. Just wait 'til they meet the black bloc...

This'll ERT
The TABD however are just one of many shadowy business groups behind the scenes pushing their pro-corporate agendas into the politicians mouths and onto our de-regulated plates. One of the main movers is the European Roundtable of Industrialists (ERT), representing the largest multinational corporations in Europe, who frequently use its corporate muscle to get its own way.

The latest example of this was the EU's 'Jobs Summit' in Lisbon earlier this year. Despite 50,000 people demonstrating in front of the summit building the EU said it would create more jobs - by speeding up privatisation of electricity, gas, rail, post and pensions as well as pushing through `urgent structural reforms` like dismantling the welfare state. An ERT wet dream. In fact one ERT official commented that their very own Competitiveness Working Group "were very much involved in the preparation of the Summit."

According to groups like ERT everything should be thrown to free market forces. Take education. One member complained of the "culture of laziness which continues in the European education system," where 'human resources' (we think they mean human beings) "take liberties to pursue subjects not directly related to industry. Instead they are pursuing subjects which have no practical application." All schools should be privatised to encourage competition, because "schools will respond better to paying customers, just like any other business..."

Have A Nice Day
When leaders of the EU meet in Nice in France in December one of the proposals on the agenda is the 'fast-tracking' of international trade agreements. Business groups are fed up of their great ideas being watered down or blocked altogether by interfering governments and protestors. They want swift, centralised decision-making, making it easier to push their demands through an already industry-friendly European bureaucracy.

All this can not only get very confusing but also a bit depressing. However nearly one year on from the successful Seattle protests (SchNEWS 240) and anti-capitalist protestors are continuing to rattle those corporate cages. Every major business conference is now ring-fenced with barricades and riot cops. Biotech lobby group EuropaBio, even had to cancel its annual congress recently for fears of public protests. At a recent International Chamber of Commerce Conference the subject of how to counter the growing backlash against globalisation topped the agenda.

Crucial for demonstrators is to see through the 'we need to talk' bullshit. Because as those nice people from the Corporate Europe Observatory point out "industry isn't really interested in actually dealing with the very real social and ecological problems caused by corporate-led globalisation, but focuses on how 'to be seen' to be dealing with these problems." Or as one Business PR consultant put it "It is easier and less costly to change the way people think about reality than it is to change reality."* 

For more on all this check out the excellent Corporate Europe Observatory, Paulus Potterstraat 20, 1071 DA Amsterdam, Holland Tel +31-20-612-7023 www.xs4all.nl/~ceo

* Also read their latest book 'Europe Inc. - Regional and Global Restructuring and the Rise of Corporate Power' (Pluto Press)

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