Faith Groups and Campainers to Highlight Unfair Trade Deals

Hundreds of Trade Justice Movement supporters will gather in London to lobby European embassies and the UK Government to put a stop to unfair trade deals between Europe and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

TJM - a coalition of aid and development organisations, environment campaigns, fair trade organisations, trade unions and faith groups - will call on Germany, as the current holder of the EU Presidency, to use its influence to make sure the Economic Partnership Agreements do not go ahead in their current form.

The UK group will meet 19 April, outside the German Embassy in Belgrave Square in London, and then move on to other European embassies, the Department of Trade and Industry and the European Commission.

Campaigners are hoping German Chancellor Angela Merkel will hear the message, "Europe: Don't lock Africa in poverty".

Trade Justice Movement Coordinator, Glen Tarman, said: "Millions of people across the UK and around the world are concerned about the way trade is deepening global injustice and poverty. Unfair trade rules keep millions of people in poverty and harm our environment. Europe's leaders must not go ahead with new trade deals that will make poverty worse."

The group further argues that the current proposals from the European Union go far beyond what is being negotiated at the World Trade Organisation and could destroy livelihoods and the environment and undermine future economic growth.

TJM members such as CAFOD, Christian Aid, Friends of the Earth, Oxfam, Tearfund and Traidcraft are calling on people to come to London to join the lobby.

Since forming in 2000, the Trade Justice Movement has staged a number of record-breaking campaigning events calling on world leaders and other politicians to make international trade work to help make poverty history and protect the global environment.