A decade after the Jasmine Revolution: Why is a free trade agreement between Tunisia and the EU not in place?

The Tunisian administration needs to increase dialogue with civil society and business, says Anna Block Mazoyer. Photo: European Parliament, Flickr.com

The Tunisian administration needs to increase dialogue with civil society and business, says Anna Block Mazoyer. Photo: European Parliament, Flickr.com

Of: Ismail Bazine and Miguel Largo Vergara 

The economic development in Tunisia has not gone as desired since the Jasmine Revolution in 2011. A decade later, Tunisia's streets and squares are once again filled with protesters begging for better living conditions. A free trade agreement with the EU could create prosperity in Tunisia, despite this, there is a great deal of suspicion within the country's civil society. The Swedish ambassador, Anna Block Mozayer, discusses this and the significance, opportunities and challenges of the free trade agreement. 

January 26, 2021, Interview

Let's take control of the food

Large-scale and small-scale agriculture

Today's large - scale food production is bad for both people and the environment, writes Lisa Tover.

Of: Lisa Tover

The global food industry creates everything from hunger and devastation of rainforest to obesity and large emissions of greenhouse gases. Profit interests rule and a few giant companies completely dominate. Now we have to take back control of the food and shorten the path from farm to fork, writes Lisa Tover from the association Framtidsjorden.

June 4, 2020, Debate

New peace threats require new trade policies

Deforestation in Brazil and the debater Lina Arvidsson.

When we buy meat from Brazil, it increases the risk of deforestation. Therefore, the meat trade should be outside the EU's new free trade agreement with Mercosur, writes Lina Arvidsson. Photo: Vinícius Mendonça / Ibama (CC BY 2.0 License)

Of: Lina Arvidsson

The EU has, since its inception, lived on the idea that trade can ensure peace. In a changing world, the EU must tackle new threats to global peace - namely climate change. This requires a new trade policy. The free trade agreement with the South American countries in Mercosur may mark a turnaround, writes Lina Arvidsson.

November 13, 2019, Debate

Trade agreement with Cuba raises debate

Can a trade agreement with Cuba lead to a dialogue on democracy and human rights? Or is it the other way around? Photo: Mstyslav Chernov (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Of: Susanne Bartholdsson

For the second time this year, the government has submitted a proposal to the Riksdag to approve the new trade agreement between the EU and Cuba. The agreement is presented as a precondition for cooperation and dialogue with Cuba on democracy and human rights. But on the debate pages, opinions differ on the new trade agreement.

November 7, 2019, Current debate

Trade agreements and seed laws hit small farmers hard

Of: Annelie Andersson and Edgardo Garcia

The world's small farmers account for 70 percent of the world's food production, even though they only have access to 24 percent of the world's agricultural land. New trade agreements and seed laws also benefit large international companies and make it difficult to survive as smallholders, write the Latin American groups and the Latin American smallholder network CLOC-La Via Campesina Central America.

April 17, 2015, Debate

The EU's trade agreement must be fair

Of: Jytte Guteland

When the EU signs trade agreements with developing countries, the EU's own interests often come first. The agreements benefit large and resourceful companies and countries, while the goods of poor countries lose value. Now the EU must begin to stand up for fair cooperation where development and social growth are rewarded, writes MEP Jytte Guteland (s).

March 3, 2015, Debate