The Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and Colombia was supposed to have been signed some months ago. Following protests of trade unions, non-governmental organisations and AK, which drew attention to serious human rights violations, the vote was postponed and a study commissioned. Labour representatives had pointed out, that hundreds of trade unionists had been murdered in Colombia over the past years and that others had received death threats.

The author of the study, Juan Pablo Corlazzoli, explained at the beginning that he had worked as a Director in the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Bogotá for several years and that he would now act as a consultant.

Corlazzoli informed the MEPs that he had examined the worst forms of human rights violations and that he had come to the conclusion that the situation for the population had improved. The government would now be working on protecting trade unionists. Attempts were being made to get drugs trafficking under control. There would be a forum or the protection of human rights activists. The author also referred to the recently discovered mass grave in Macarena, where up to 2,000 bodies are suspected. The authorities had spoken to the victims' relatives and exhumations had been carried out. There was, however, no indication as to who the victims (civilians, trade unionists) were.

The author of the study concluded that the human rights situation in Colombia had significantly improved and that he would therefore recommend concluding a Trade Agreement. Such an agreement, however, should also contain clauses referring to human rights and labour standards. 

The Social Democrat MEP Richard Howitt was clearly appalled by the study and listed a number of issues, which the study either did not mention at all or only marginally: in some cases, Colombian members of the government had been directly responsible for human rights violations; however, the study had made no mention of that. The murders of trade union members had hardly been mentioned and the dead bodies in Macarena had only been forensically examined after a lot of protests. The situation would continue to be of concern.

In contrast, MEP Charles Tannock of the European Conservatives and Reformists praised the study, stating that he would see Colombia going in the right direction. Colombia would also be a member of the International Labour Organisation and the situation of trade unionists had improved, even if there was still a lot to do.

The Liberal MEP Barbara Lochbihler was critical. One had to find the facts. The question why the government's involvement in human rights crimes had not been mentioned should indeed be answered. She thinks it is odd that the study finds that a Free Trade Agreement would improve the human rights situation. Her question to the author would therefore be how he reached that conclusion.

The author defended his study and made the interesting statement he had been briefed by his client, the European Parliament, how this study should be structured. Apart from that, he had only been able to address individual points as he had to bear the extent of the work in mind. He admitted with regard to the trade unions that there had been no convictions for murders of trade unionists between 1996 and 2008; there had been some recently, which would indicate an improvement.

It will be interesting to see, what decision the European Parliament will take in respect of the Free Trade Agreement. A respective vote will take place before the end of the year.

Weiterführende Informationen:

AK position paper on the continuation of negotiations with Columbia on an Association Agreement and on the state of negotiation concerning sustainable development