Page 151 - El État de los derechos humanos en el desarrollo sostenible

EL ETAT DE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS EN EL DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE

industrial understanding of the application of human rights prevails in the relation of the
European Union with its partner states. As a result, partner states, especially development

states, consider the human rights clauses more and more merely as a threat for a possible

suspension of the preferential trade agreements than rather an opportunity to improve the

human rights situation in their country guided by the European Union, especially in the field
of economic and social human rights and eradication of poverty.

Especially the EU trade policy and the impact of the trade agreements of the European

Union with development states is discussed very controversial. Developing countries are

required to open their market almost entirely to EU products. The general criticism,
especially by some African countries is, that Africa is not yet ready for free trade as it’s

propagated by the European Union. Both the European Union and European governments

still widely see African countries as neo-colonial supplier of raw material for industrialized

countries. On the other hand, economic research has stressed out the need for
industrialization in order to improve development standards. Consequently and to achieve

this goal, an European trade policy towards developing countries, based on economic and

social rights and the right for a sustainable development is highly required.

This requires a new policy by the European Union and shall have its legal basis in the already
existing human rights clauses. The corresponding decisions must be comprehensible under

the common understanding between the EU and the partner country, based on transparency

and be subject to a democratic control, e.g. by the European Parliament. Most importantly,
this process must include not only first generation civil and political rights but also equally

social and economic human rights of the second generation, a permanent political dialogue

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