The European Union's new trade strategy prioritises the interests of companies, whilst paying scant attention to the impact of its trade policies on poor people, development and the environment.

In 2006 the EC announced a new trade strategy, called 'Global Europe'. Following this strategy, the EC is trying to push through a number of new trade agreements with developing countries called FTA. These agreements would go further than previous talks, such as the WTO pushing for:

• Even more intensive free trade liberalisation, which would limit the rights of developing countries to set their own trade taxes
• Restrictions on the rights of developing countries to regulate investment and government contracts
• Restrictions on the rights of developing countries to set their own food and safety standards
• Giving companies even tighter control over knowledge and technology (Intellectual Property Rights), which would obstruct people’s access to medicines and seeds.

The EU wants access to and control over key developing markets. If they succeed, this will bring producers in developing countries into direct competition with rich nations and some of the most powerful corporations in the world, before they're ready to compete. This could set back development for generations to come.