The Fair Trade manifesto is ready!

As the campaign for the next European Parliament elections is kicking off with an increased media attention, it is essential for the Fair Trade movement to come up with a policy document summarizing its most important demands. Now the Fair Trade manifesto is ready.

The objective of the Fair Trade manifesto is to create support for Fair Trade and Trade Justice in the future European Parliament and among policy-makers from other key European Union institutions (i.e. the European Commission). It aims to provide the European Fair Trade movement with a common tool during the campaign leading to the elections. The manifesto will also serve as a basis for cooperation with the newly elected (and re-elected) Members of the European Parliament willing to support Fair Trade during their mandate in the legislature of 2014-2019.

The work on the manifesto was led by the Vote4FT coalition but it also involved the Fair Trade Advocacy Office’s Board and other European Fair Trade organisations. The Vote4FT coalition partners will seek the endorsement of the Fair Trade manifesto from the parliamentary candidates. Starting from December, 22 organisations will attempt to reach a maximum number of candidates in no less than 15 countries of the European Union until the elections take place in May 2014.

The Fair Trade manifesto can be downloaded from the FTAO website, where updates on the number of candidate’s signature will be also available. In addition, a series of videos with supportive candidates will be uploaded on the  Vote4FT website from the end of January 2014.

For more information contact Sebastien Leclef at leclef@fairtrade-advocacy.org