Issue 7, July 2003

1. Campaigners Allege Caspian Oil Pipeline Violates Turkey's EU Accession Partnership; Present Legal Case to European Commission

2. Groups Warn that Chile and Singapore Trade Agreements are "Wrong Model" for the Environment; Violate “Fast Track” Rules

3. Environmental Groups Call on Inter-American Development Bank and Export-Import Bank to Delay Vote on Controversial Camisea Gas Project

• For more information, contact Carol Welch at (202) 783-7400 ext. 237 or cwelch@foe.org
• To view the full press release: http://www.baku.org.uk/news09.htm
• Friends of the Earth’s BTC case study web page: http://www.foe.org/camps/intl/institutions/bakuceyhan.html
  
  

  ---

2. Groups Warn that Chile and Singapore Trade Agreements are "Wrong Model" for the Environment; Violate “Fast Track” Rules

Friends of the Earth and other major environmental groups warned members of Congress in a July 9 letter that the U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) would harm the environment and set the wrong direction for U.S. trade policy.

The groups highlighted the FTAs’ investor suit provisions, which are similar to NAFTA’s Chapter 11 that multinational investors have used to undermine environmental standards. The Chile and Singapore agreements open the door to more international lawsuits against environmental protections. The FTAs also fail to meet Congress' own requirement in fast track legislation, which grants investors "no greater rights" than is the case under U.S. law.

The groups also strongly criticized a novel provision in these agreements that allows foreign investors to bring suits before international tribunals about disputes involving oil and gas leases and other natural resource contracts.

• For more information, contact David Waskow at (202) 783-7400 ext. 108 or dwaskow@foe.org.
• To view the letter, go to: http://www.foe.org/camps/intl/greentrade/ChileSingNGOsignonletter2.pdf
  
• Friends of the Earth’s Fact Sheet “Foreign Investor Lawsuits: Big Oil & Co. Could Walk Away with Millions,” go to: http://www.foe.org/camps/intl/greentrade/chilesingaporeroyaltyfactsheet.pdf
  

3. Environmental Groups Call on Inter-American Development Bank and Export-Import Bank to Delay Vote on Controversial Camisea Gas Project

Prominent environmental groups are calling for an indefinite delay to board of directors votes at the Inter American Development Bank and Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) on financing for the Camisea Gas Project due to unresolved issues.

The groups cite drilling on the lands of uncontacted indigenous peoples, building a pipeline through pristine rainforest of the Urubamba Valley and building an export terminal in Paracas Bay – the buffer zone of an area protected under the Ramsar Convention as key rationales for the delay. The US company to benefit the most is Hunt Oil of Texas, a key campaign contributor to the Bush-Cheney administration.

"There are no limits to where the Bush administration will drill for oil and gas at taxpayer expense. Ex-Im Bank President Philip Merrill talks a green game but is financing tropical forest destruction," said Jon Sohn of Friends of the Earth. The groups include Friends of the Earth, World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International and Environmental Defense

• For more information contact Jon Sohn at 202-783-7400 ext. 231 or jsohn@foe.org.
• Friends of the Earth’s Camisea case study web page: http://www.foe.org/camps/intl/institutions/camisea.htm