DG Trade Civil Society DialogueReport of activities 2010

What we doThe Directorate-General for Trade (DG Trade) conducts a structured Civil Society Dialogue (CSD) to consult widely in the framework of a confident working relationship and promotes an active and inclusive participation of civil society through regular meetings on trade policy.

The present report gives an overview of the main activities of the Trade Civil Society Dialogue in 2010.

1. Looking back at 2010

2. Civil Society Dialogue meetings

3. Recommendations and evaluation of meetings

4. Contracts and grants

5 . European Transparency Initiative Register

6. Civil Society Trade Seminar

7. Looking forward

1

The report

Contents

2010 has been a year of breaking new ground as well as one of continuity for trade policy. The world economy has been in a phase of recovery from the global crisis. 2010 has also brought new institutional and policy developments. In the field of trade, the Lisbon Treaty has reinforced the role of the European Parliament and fully made investment an EU competence. Moreover, the Barosso II Commission, which took office in 2010 has renewed its comprehensive trade policy. The Communication ‘Trade, Growth and World Affairs’ sets out how trade and investment policy contributes to delivering on the triple objectives of smart, inclusive and sustainable growth.

At the bilateral level, the signature of the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement, the negotiations with other trading partners and the conclusion of negotiations with Columbia, Peru and Central America have captured the attention of civil society. Multilaterally, there has been a continued effort to get new impetus into the Doha Development Agenda negotiations. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement was concluded and efforts to achieve a sustainable climate change agreement were maintained.

The activities of the Civil Society Dialogue have reflected the events that shaped 2010. Civil society representatives that have been active in the dialogue include non-profit and non-governmental organisations coming from sectors such as industry, agriculture and farming, chambers of commerce, NGOs, think tanks, research institutes, trade unions, as well as employers and professional associations. It is the aim of the Civil Society Dialogue to consult widely through a transparent consultation process which will enhance the Commission’s accountability. In 2010 much of our day to day work has contributed to these goals.

The report thus aims at covering all activities that the Civil Society Dialogue has been involved in throughout 2010, as well as to point to where the CSD in heading in the future. In 2011 we will keep a strong focus on increasing the involvement of civil society representatives from all Member States in order to make the dialogue as effective and rewarding as possible.

2

1. Looking back at 2010

2. Civil Society Dialogue meetings

The Trade Civil Society Dialogue (CSD) remains an important platform for civil society organisations to follow trade policy developments and share their views, with 836 registered organisations in 2010. Almost 54 percent (372) are based in Brussels and 52 percent of organisations are located in Member States other than Belgium. The share of representatives from the EU12 has remained slightly more than one tenth of the non-Brussels based organisations. Finally, there are 29 organisations from countries of the European Economic Area and the EU Candidate Countries registered within the CSD.

Registered organisations

The European Transparency Initiative (ETI) of 2008 aims for a transparent dialogue between the EU and interest group representatives. The registration in the ETI database is a condition for membership of new organisations in the CSD. In 2010 we have gradually phased in this requirement, whilst also actively supporting the registration of organisations. The number of organisations in the CSD database with an ETI number more than doubled in the course of the year and now stands at 290.

Format of meetings and issues discussedThe Trade Civil Society Dialogue invited its members to a total of 29 meetings in 2010, as well as to a one-day Seminar held in Prague in March 2010. The meetings of the CSD are generally divided up into five categories. Depending on the topic, as well as the format, participation varied in terms of numbers and type of organisations attending.

385

372

50

29

EU15

Brussel-based

EU12

Candidate countries and EEA Organisations by country

3

Meetings with the Commissioner and the Director-General for TradeIn 2010 the newly appointed Commissioner for Trade, Karel De Gucht, met civil society three times. Commissioner De Gucht’s first meeting with civil society took place in March at the Civil Society Trade Seminar in Prague and focused on global trade issues, including the role of the WTO and EU trade policy in addressing the economic crisis.

The second meeting took place in June, where the main purpose was for the Commissioner to exchange views with civil society on the future direction of EU trade policy. During the follow-up meeting in November, Commissioner De Gucht presented and discussed with civil society representatives the new EU trade policy strategy.

The meeting with the Director-General, which took place in April focused on the state of play on the WTO Doha Development Agenda and bilateral trade negotiations, as well as on future priorities of EU trade policy.

With up to 57 participants, these meetings were particularly well attended.

General meetings on trade policy issuesThroughout 2010 the Civil Society Dialogue Team organised thirteen meetings on general trade policy issues.

The initiative for many of the topics discussed in these meetings came from the Contact Group, e.g. ‘the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) scheme’, ‘Trade and Investment’, ‘Trade and Climate Change’, ‘Trade Policy and its Impact on Agriculture’ and two meetings on ‘the Implications of the Lisbon Treaty on Trade policy’. Other topics addressed include ‘Trade and Services’, the ‘Commission Staff Working Paper on Child Labour’, ‘Trade Relations with Eastern Partnership Countries’, ‘The EU’s Bilateral Trade Relations with the US, China, Japan and Australia’, a ‘Public Consultation on Future Framework of EU-Japan Trade and Economic Relations’, a meeting on ‘EU-Transatlantic Relations’, as well as one on e on the ‘Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

At most meetings speakers included representatives from various Commission services: in addition to DG Trade, the Directorate-Generals for External Relations, Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Internal Market and Services, Development, Environment, Climate Action, Enterprise and Industry, Agriculture and Rural Development, as well as Health and Consumers contributed.

DG Trade encourages the participation of civil society organisations as speakers in these meetings. As examples of meetings with a wide presence of Commission services, as well as civil society speakers, we can highlight the meetings on the ‘Commission Staff Working Paper on Child Labour’, ‘Trade in services’, ‘Trade and Climate Change’, and ‘Trade Policy and its Impact on Agriculture’.

13General meetings

on trade policy issues

CSD meetings by type

3Sustainability ImpactAssessment meetings

6Meetings on bilateral and multilateral trade

negotiations

3

Contact Group meetings

3Meetings with the

Commissioner /Director-General for Trade

1

Seminars

4

At the request of the Contact Group members, regular meetings on current bilateral trade negotiations continued throughout 2010. These gave civil society the opportunity to get an overview of ongoing negotiations with several partners during one meeting. In addition, the CSD Team organised four meetings focusing on specific partners. These included two debriefings on ‘EU-Central America Negotiations for an Association Agreement’, a meeting on ‘Multiparty Trade Agreement between EU and ANDEAN countries’, and a meeting on the ‘State of play of Economic Partnership Agreements’.

Meetings on bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations

Sustainability Impact Assessment meetingsThree Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) meetings were organised in 2010. These meetings were on the ‘EU-India SIA Position Paper’, the ‘EU-ASEAN SIA Position Paper’, and the ‘Trade SIA EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement’.

During the SIA meetings, participants were encouraged to actively contribute and provide input to the draft reports at the different stages of development of those studies. However, participation of civil society at SIA meetings has been low.

The Contact Group plays an important role in the Civil Society Dialogue, among others by contributing to its long term development and thematic orientation. It not only provides feedback, but also actively contributes to the evaluation of meetings and the setting of the future agenda. The success of the Civil Society Dialogue also relies on the Contact Group’s facilitator function in disseminating the information and encouraging its constituents to be active in the CSD and participate in meetings.

Three Contact Group meetings took place during 2010. They reviewed past meetings, suggested topics for next meetings and monitored the implementation of the Action Plan issued in 2007 as follow-up to the external evaluation of the Civil Society Dialogue. Other topics were the organisation and evaluation of the Civil Society Trade Seminar in Prague (24 March) and the involvement of civil society in the implementation of the sustainable development chapter as part of the new generation of free trade agreements.

The Contact Group strengthens the Civil Society Dialogue. DG Trade noted that the meetings organised at the request of Contact Group members were very well attended and welcomes the constructive proposals made. DG Trade continues to encourage the Contact Group to come forward with proposals for meetings and on format and speakers for meetings.

Contact Group meetings

5

2010 has been a successful year in terms of participation of civil society organisations at the CSD meetings. Throughout this year, 865 representatives participated in a total number of 29 meetings of the Civil Society Dialogue.

Some organisations stand out by their active participation in meetings. These include Eurocommerce, Eurochambres, WIDE network, the European Services Forum (ESF), APRODEV, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the Coalition of the Flemish North-South Movement, the Foreign Trade Association (FTA), the Union Européenne du Commerce du Bétail et Viande (UECBV), BUSINESSEUROPE, EURATEX, as well as representatives from the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).

The European Liaison Committee for Agricutural and Agri-food Trade, the Bureau européen de l’Agriculture Française (BEAF), the Association of Poultry Processors and Poultry Trade in the EU Countries, the European Cocoa Association,

the European Dairy Association (EDA) and the Tropical Tuna European Interbranch Committee intervened frequently in the debate. The European Farmers and European Agri-Cooperatives, the EU-Ukraine Business Council, the European Association of Sugar Traders, the Comité Européen des Fabricants de Sucre (CEFS), and the European Services Strategy Unit also took the floor often in meetings expressing their views on different issues.

Organisations benefitting from travel funding have also been active in the dialogue: Latvian Chamber of Traders, the Overseas Development Institute, the European Services Strategy Unit and the Gdynia Cotton Association, as well as the Association of Swedish Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Cyprus Consumers Union and Quality of Life.

Civil Society participation

3. Recommendations and evaluation of meetings

Action Plan follow-upIn 2010 DG Trade’s CSD Team continued implementing the recommendations issued in the Action Plan to reassess and improve the dialogue with civil society. The Contact Group members have been closely involved in the monitoring of the Action Plan, issued in 2007 as follow-up to the external evaluation of the Civil Society Dialogue.

By the end of 2010 many recommendations from the Action Plan have been implemented or are in preparation. Among the improvements made under the Action Plan are: enhancement of civil society networking, making use of different meeting formats, systematic use of the feedback mechanism to CSD meetings, publication of contributions of civil society to public consultations, and participation of other Commission services in CSD meetings.

6

To encourage the involvement of participants from new Member States and to enhance civil society networking, DG Trade has organised a one-day Civil Society Trade seminar in Prague 24 March 2010. DG Trade will organise a Civil Society Trade seminar in Warsaw in 2011.

DG Trade remains committed to the implementation and follow-up of recommendations issued from the Action Plan and will continue the implementation in 2011 in close relation with the Contact Group.

Evaluation of meetingsAn important element of the Action Plan is the set-up of an evaluation system, which allows feedback on the content, format, speakers and timeframe of CSD meetings. Subsequent to every meeting, a feedback request is automatically sent to all meeting participants. Comments and recommendations received from civil society help improve the dialogue.

Out of the 610 evaluation requests sent out in 2010, we have received 203 responses, which represents an average 33% response rate. The Civil Society Dialogue Team has encouraged meeting participants to give their opinions and feedback after each meeting. At the suggestion of the Contact Group, DG Trade currently complements the electronic system with a paper evaluation questionnaire provided at each meeting. First impressions indicate that paper evaluations generate a better return rate.

Although the response rate is not satisfactory, the analysis carried out indicates that all CSD meetings were considered relevant in 2010. A large majority has found the information provided by DG Trade, as well as the interventions made by other Commission services and civil society at the meetings as being useful. However, opinions on whether CSD meetings are an effective channel for influencing policy making are divided. A slight majority of 56% feel that their participation in the Civil Society Dialogue meeting has enabled them to influence trade policies, whereas 36% disagree.

The analysis suggests that most participants at CSD meetings are pleased with the format and

content of meetings. Recommendations emphasise the need to enable more people to participate in the discussion, possibly through limiting the time for each intervention, extending the session or shortening the length of some presentations where appropriate. Further feedback asked for background information to be posted onto the website prior to the meeting, a request the CSD Team has already taken up with relevant units.

On content, meetings with the Commissioner, the Director-General and with representatives from other Commission services, as well as those on bilateral trade negotiations have been highly appreciated. Suggestions for improvement addressed in the feedback aim at enabling civil society to play a greater role in influencing trade policy-making, for example through scheduling the meetings at earlier stages of the negotiation processes.

Other prevalent comments have requested follow-up meetings on certain issues. This call has been actively taken on board for example with respect to meetings on ‘Bilateral trade negotiations’, ‘Impact of Lisbon Treaty on trade policy’, ‘Review of the Generalised System of Preferences’, ‘Trade and climate change’, ‘Trade relations with Eastern Partnership Countries’, and will be carried on through 2011.

7

4. Contracts and grants

DG Trade wishes to continue strengthening the exchange, debate and networking among civil society organisations. In order to help EU12 civil society organisations become more involved with EU trade policy DG Trade seeks to organise annual seminars on trade policy. In 2010 DG Trade, the Contact Group and the consultancy firm Equinox have worked together to organise the Civil Society Trade Seminar in Prague. More information on the seminar is to be found in Section 5 of this report.

An important objective of the Civil Society Trade Seminar in 2010 was to engage EU12 civil society organisations in EU trade policy. This will be further encouraged in 2011 with the organisation of the Civil Society Trade Seminar in Warsaw. The Contact Group, DG Trade and Equinox will continue working in coming months on preparations for the coming seminar.

In order to allow wider participation of organisations based in EU Member States, EU accession countries and EEA countries, DG Trade offers to cover travel expenses for participants in Civil Society Dialogue meetings. Organisations registered in the CSD database and not based in Brussels can benefit from the funding.

Travel grants can be requested through the electronic registration system on the CSD website, simultaneously to signing up to CSD meetings. DG Trade then books and pays for the journey, without the participant having to organise it individually. Grants are limited to one person per organisation per meeting and ten persons per meeting, on a first-come, first-served basis.

In 2010 DG Trade funded a total of 19 journeys. The organisations to have benefited from this service included the European Services Strategy Unit (6 journeys), the Latvian Chamber of Traders and the Overseas Development Institute (4), followed by the Gdynia Cotton Association (2), the Association of Swedish Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Cyprus Consumers Union and Quality of Life, as well as the Eurogroup for Animals (1).

To encourage the active involvement of organisations not based in Brussels in the CSD, DG Trade will continue to provide travel funding in 2011.

Contracts Grants

In addition to the above activities, the DG Trade Civil Society Dialogue Team also manages contracts and grants related to the Civil Society Dialogue.

8

5. European Transparency Initiative Register

The European Commission considers transparency as an essential factor for mutual understanding and acceptability of policy in any area. Compliance with high standards of transparency is important for the legitimacy and accountability of any modern administration. That is why the Commission in 2008 has launched a register for interest representatives aiming to improve transparency and accountability in the relations of civil society organisations with European institutions.

The decision to link DG Trade’s Civil Society Dialogue database to the European Transparency Initiative (ETI) should be seen in this context. The aim is to foster a confident working relationship between DG Trade and civil society. To ensure commitment to integrity and openness DG Trade has made registration with the ETI a precondition for joining the CSD database.

Throughout 2010, the Civil Society Dialogue Team has encouraged civil society organisations to register in the ETI and explained the implications of failure to register. Out of 836 organisations, to date 290 organisations have provided their ETI number in the CSD database.

In order to avoid a sudden significant drop in the number of registered organisations, the CSD Team gradually phased in the change. Over the past months the system started showing a warning message when a non-ETI organisation registered to a meeting. In 2011 entry in the ETI register will become a condition for remaining in the DG Trade CSD database.

DG Trade encourages civil society organisations to sign up in the ETI Register via the following link: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/transparency/regrin/

6. Civil Society Trade SeminarDG Trade organised a one-day Civil Society Trade Seminar on 24 March in Prague under the title ‘EU Trade Policy Making: Perspectives and Priorities’. The seminar offered civil society the opportunity to discuss the changes to trade policy making procedures under the Lisbon Treaty and help shape the debate on EU trade policy priorities in the coming years. It addressed the role of civil society in EU trade policy formulation, the role of trade policy in relation to the global economic crisis, and the benefits of trade agreements, in particular for EU 12 countries, as well as the contribution of trade policy to sustainable development goals. The setting in EU12 was a welcome opportunity to bring trade policy closer to civil society in the most recently acceded EU Member States.

The seminar was well-attended: 98 participants representing NGOs, business and professional organisations, think tanks, research institutes, trade unions and foundations participated. Commissioner for Trade, Karel De Gucht and high-level Commission officials participated actively in the seminar.

9

The seminar was organised around three plenary sessions and three workshops, all of which saw animated discussions and active involvement of civil society representatives. During discussions, a number of organisations recommended raising the profile of EU12 civil society organisations and their involvement in the legislative process. There were also discussions on EU trade policy, including calls to complete the WTO Doha Development Agenda, ensure that trading partners effectively implement sustainable development provisions, improve the capacity building of developing countries by using market incentives rather than preferences and integrate civil society into the new role of the European Parliament.

After the seminar, participants were encouraged to express their opinions on the seminar (i.e. content, organisation, quality or usefulness and follow-up of the seminar). The responses to the questionnaires showed that 94% of respondents were satisfied with the topics discussed and considered that the seminar had fulfilled its objectives and their overall expectations. 93% of respondents stated that they would be interested in attending future CSD Seminars on trade policy.

Along with the evaluation, participants were given the opportunity to ask the Commission written questions left open from the seminar. These, together with the answers, were made available on DG Trade website.

Participants also provided recommendations on future Civil Society Trade Seminars, in encouraging DG Trade to provide more time for discussion and dialogue among participants, as well as opportunities for informal discussions with the panellists. Comments also emphasised the need for future seminars to be more focused and policy-relevant. Some participants also requested improvement of the channels of information between civil society and the European institutions.

The March 2010 Civil Society Trade Seminar thus offered some lessons that can be drawn upon in the organisation of future seminars, including for the next CSD Seminar that will be held in Warsaw late 2011. A key objective of the series of CSD seminars is to encourage the participation of civil society organisations, in particular representatives from the 12 most recently acceded EU Member States, in regular dialogue with EU trade policy experts. This is reflected in the planning of the above mentioned seminar in Warsaw.

Find more information on http://trade.ec.europa.eu/civilsoc/seminars/index.cfm

10

In 2011 the Commission remains committed to consulting civil society on trade policy developments and proposed action. The Civil Society Dialogue Team will continue working with the Contact Group to put into practice the Action Plan and organise structured meetings, thus promoting an active and inclusive participation of civil society in the trade policy making process. A key event in 2011 will be the annual Civil Society Trade Seminar taking place in the second half of the year in Warsaw. DG Trade encourages civil society representatives to become actively involved in the Civil Society Dialogue by sharing their views and comments and participating in CSD meetings in 2011. This will provide the ground for continued exchanges within the wider community of civil society organisations that engage in trade policy issues.

7. Looking forward

11

ContactEuropean Commission200, rue de la Loi-WetstraatB-1049 Brussels, BelgiumTel: 00.800.6789.1011 (toll-free)email: trade-civilsociety@ec.europa.eu

For information on the Directorate-General for Trade, visit:http://ec.europa.eu/trade

For full details on eligibility and the registration procedure, visit:http://trade.ec.europa.eu/civilsoc

To register with the ETI Register of Interest Representative, visit:http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regrin/

For upcoming events and details of previous meetings, visit:http://trade.ec.europa.eu/civilsoc/meetlist.cfm

For a regular newsletter on EU external trade, register at:http://trade.ec.europa.eu/eutn/RegistIndex.php