The document critiques the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Colombia and the EU, arguing that it disproportionately benefits transnational companies while exacerbating poverty and social inequality in Colombia. The negotiation is characterized as asymmetric, with Colombia's economy significantly smaller than that of the EU, leading to unfavorable trade terms like stringent environmental and sanitary measures. Ultimately, the agreement is seen as detrimental to Colombian economic and human rights interests, serving primarily European business objectives.

1. FTA BETWEEN COLOMBIA AND THE EU: LOOKING FOR BALANCED ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND
PRODUCTION OF COLOMBIA WITH THE EU IN A FRAMEWORK OF COOPERATION AND RESPECT FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS? THE ANSWER IS NO
By: Angie Estefanía Lozano Castro*
To speak at the same time on a FTA between Colombia and the European Union in a frame of cooperation and on
protection of the human rights proves being a paradox, since it is an agreement that promotes the interests of the
transnational companies and aggravates the poverty, the exclusion and social inequality in Colombia.
It is a question of an asymmetric negotiation, due to the fact that the economy of EU is 80 times bigger than the
Colombian one, and our exports represent only 0,32 $ for every 100 $ of what Europe buys in the world (European
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Comission, 2011) . While Colombia sells products of the primary sector of little value added (coal, oil, banana,
confections, etc.), Europe sells principally manufactured products, machinery, transport and chemical products,
sectors with high added value that produce major wealth that the primary products, stopping to guess clearly that
the EU has operated according to his own interests: To open new markets of goods and services, to increase the
opportunities of investment, to establish technical and sanitary procedure favorable to the EU, and to condition the
political Colombian system to facilitate the revenue of the European markets.
On the other hand the aggressive requirements are in the chapter of Intellectual Property (Germán Holguín
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Zamorano, 2009) , in the topic of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures the EU claims that Colombia has the same
standards of his countries, which would force to stop producing almost everything in the country, since already it is
done by the raw milk, the rural hens, the bovine meat and sugarcane mills; what would imply the modification of
the regulative Colombian frame of agreement to the conveniences of the European Union.
Another alarming topic inside the advantageous agreement, is that of the mining industry, since this has turned
into one of the most dynamic sectors of the Colombian economy and one points to turn into one of the principal
economic activities into the next years, which makes her attractive to the transnational miners who already have
entered to the country with thousands of million dollars destined for the exploration and exploitation of natural
resources. But more wealth and prosperity have taken lag and misery to the populations, since paradoxically the
mining regions with presence of transnational companies present the worst social and economic conditions of the
country. Regarding the topic of Human rights, the situation is equal or worse, since entire peoples meet affected by
the displacement (‘El Cerrejón’ and the indigenous communities ‘Wayuu’ and ‘afrocolombianas’), for the
environmental deterioration (Since it would be the case of ‘La Colosa’ in Cajamarca, Tolima) and as auction, there
have been denounced alliances of some mining companies by paramilitary groups that have committed an outrage
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against communities and union leaders (United Nations, General Assembly, 2007) . It is clear that the mining industry
inside the agreement will not be an activity that he benefits in royal terms to the Colombian economy but to the
European multinationals.
To conclude, it can be affirmed that with the ratification of this one commercial agreement, the Colombian
economy will see strongly affected by the competitive disadvantage opposite to the economic European block,
being of benefit only to the interests of the governments and of the big businessmen, but not to other social groups
of the country and in nothing contributing to the economic and productive equality, since to the protection of the
human rights.
*Student of International Business Administration, University of Ibague.

2. BIBLIOGRAPHY/CIBERGRAPHY
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European Comission, (2011). Trade with Andean countries (bilateral relations). Retrieved from
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_113367.pdf
2
Germán Holguín Zamorano , (2009, 02 17). Tlc colombia/ecuador/perú-unión europea (tlc). Retrieved
from www.aislac.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc..49
3
United Nations, General Assembly, C. D. D. H. (2007, 08 31). Violaciones de los derechos humanos
cometidas por las empresas transnacionales en colombia. Retrieved from
http://www.choike.org/documentos/colombia_onu2007.pdf