English
Romania, Bucharest: 2016, September 29, 30
The European Union is one of the biggest importers of raw materials in the world. Its resource consumption is far above a sustainable level on a global scale. Products “Made in the EU” like cars, electronics or chemicals contain raw materials often coming from countries in the Global South. In many countries we observe human, social and labour rights violation and a degradation of the environment. Some of these countries are not able or willing to secure the rights of their citizens and defend them against corporate interests. The local communities often do not benefit from the raw material extraction and bear all the social and environmental costs.
Even though the European industry and citizens use or consume most of these raw materials, these kind of problems are not strongly enough addressed in the current EU policies. The EU adjusts its trade and investment policy to keep the costs for consumption low. Its political strategy is to liberalize the markets and thus mainly to serve the supply interests of the industry. Human rights and environmental issues play only a secondary role in this process although resource extraction has often enormous social and environmental impacts in the mining regions.
This seminar for political multipliers introduces the participants to the resource strategy of the European Union and its impacts in European mining regions and in the Global South. We will focus in this seminar mainly on metals and minerals, because fossils and agrarian raw materials have special challenges and are much stronger in the public focus. European experts in their field will give introductions into topics like the European Raw Materials Initiative, conflict minerals regulation or tax avoidance practices and investor-to-state-dispute settlements. Beside this, we will also focus on resistance struggles, campaigns for resource justice and alternative concepts for resource extraction. Your inputs are welcome and we also want to focus on networking aspects on Day 2.
The seminar is addressed to decision makers, interested journalists and multipliers from parties, unions, press and NGOs (in the field of mining, human rights, or environment). If you are interested, please use the short application form below the programme.
Programme
DAY 1 [Thursday], 29.09.2016
Part I: EU and Mining – Political framework in the EU
12:00 – 12:30 Arriving (with finger foods)
12:30 – 13:30 Welcome & Introductory Round (Roxana Pencea, Mining Watch Romania and Michael Reckordt, PowerShift)
13:30 – 14:00 Raw Materials Initiative – The EU plan to secure the raw material supply with three pillars (Karin Küblböck, ÖFSE)
Coffee Break
14:30 – 15:15 Conflict Minerals Regulation and the Role of Industry Lobby (Input: Michael Reckordt, PowerShift)
15:15 – 16:00 Human Rights Impacts of EU Raw Materials Consumption in the Global South (Andy Whitmore, London Mining Network)
Coffee Break
16:30 – 17:15 Less Consumption and Urban Mining – EU circular economy and the role of consumption in EU – (Elena Rastei, Zero Waste Romania)
17:15 – 18:00 Anti-Mining Struggles in Eastern Europe – Overview and Lessons Learned from the Struggles in Slovakia and Romania (Rosia Montana) (Roxana Pencea, Mining Watch Romania / Save Rosia Montana-Network; Ivana Uhríková, Kremnica Nad Zlato – Kremnica Beyond Gold)
18:00 Dinner
DAY 2 [Friday], 30.09.2016
Part II: Human Rights, Due Diligence and Resistance
09:00 Summary of Thursday
09:30 – 11:30 Two Workshops for Developing Common Strategies, Networking and Exchange of Lessons Learned
Workshop A: Tax Avoidance Practices and How to Regulate (Ilona Hartlief, SOMO)
Workshop B: Free Trade Agreement & Investor-To-State-Arbitration (ISDS): What does it mean on raw materials (Lucile Falgueyrac, Seattle to Brussels Network)
11:30 – 12:00 Coffee Break
12:00 – 12:30 Short Presentations of the Workshop Results
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Break -> time for networking
13:30 – 14:00 Stop Mad Mining – A Common Campaign (Anna Backmann, CIR)
14:00 – 16:00 Workshop Phase
Workshop C: Mining Projects in Europe and Resistance (Round Table with Short Inputs; Moderator: Roxana Pencea, Mining Watch Romania)
Workshop D: Mining Projects and Struggles Outside of Europe and the Role of the EU and European companies (Round Table with Short Inputs; Moderator: Michael Reckordt, PowerShift)
16:00 – 16:30 Coffee Break
16:30 – 17:30 Short Presentations of the Workshop Results – Common Lessons Learned, Common Agenda + Feedback
17:30 – 18:00 Closing Words
Application:
(Short) Application send to: Michael.Reckordt@power-shift.de
Attendance fee 50 € incl. accommodation (from Day 1 to Day 2 and meals). If the amount is too high for you / your organisation, please get in contact with Michael.reckordt@power-shift.de and we will find a solution.
Please send your application until: July 15 2016 to: Michael.reckordt@power-shift.de
Binding application for the multiplier seminar:
Name:
Address / City / Country:
Email:
Telephone / Mobile:
Vegetarian / Vegan:
Born in year:
Field of work / Organisation:
Political engagement / experience:
Experiences in the field of raw materials:
Interested in the following workshops (name A or B and C or D):
