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Coalition Press Release SEATTLE, U.S.A., 27 April 2000 -- Secretive Chemical Industry Trade Advisory Body Violates Law -- Three public interest groups filed a lawsuit today in federal district court in Seattle to stop the Clinton Administration from using a trade advisory board comprised solely of chemical industry representatives. This latest lawsuit, coming just weeks before the high profile China trade vote, highlights growing citizen group upset over the yawning gap between the Administration's new trade rhetoric and its business-as-usual old trade policies. "This lawsuit is necessary to force the Administration to bring some of policies in line with its rhetoric about greater openness and balance in trade policy," said Patti Goldman, the attorney with Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund who filed the lawsuit. On November 9, 1999, a U.S. District Judge ruled that the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) industry-only trade advisory committees on paper and wood products violate the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). Under FACA, U.S. government advisory committees must represent a fair balance of viewpoints. After that decision, the environmental groups asked the USTR to add environmental representatives to its industry-only chemical advisory committee, but the government refused. Indeed, while President Clinton was pledging greater openness in trade policy during the Seattle WTO Ministerial, his Administration was appealing the environmental group victory on the wood and paper advisory committee. "It is the ultimate hypocrisy for the Administration to purport to champion democracy while they close the doors to the chemical advisory committees to all but corporate interests," said Jim Puckett of the Asia Pacific Environmental Exchange. The Trade Representative meets in secret with the chemicals committee. She gives them inside information and they have numerous opportunities to influence U.S. trade policy. But the committee is reserved for people who will present "the views and interests of a U.S. business in the chemicals or allied products industry sector." "These advisory committees collide with laws that prohibit such one-sided influence behind closed doors by only those with money and influence," said Goldman. "When it comes to negotiating trade agreements and developing trade policy, the Administration has ignored basic democratic principles," said Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch. "With input from the chemical industry alone, it is not surprising that the Trade Representative has successfully pushed for WTO rules that undermine precaution-based health protections," said Carol Dansereau, Executive Director, Washington Toxics Coalition. CONTACT: Patti Goldman, Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund (206) 343-7340 Lori Wallach, Public Citizen (202) 546-4996 Carol Dansereau, Washington Toxics Coalition (206) 632-1545 x13 Jim Puckett, Asia Pacific Environmental Exchange (206) 720-6426 END FAIR USE NOTICE. This document contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The Basel Action Network is making this article available in our efforts to advance understanding of ecological sustainability and environmental justice issues. We believe that this constitutes a `fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond `fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. More News |