Negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement with Thailand and abusive social and working conditions in the fishing sector
24.3.2015
Question for written answer E-004593-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
José Blanco López (S&D)
The Thai Government’s pilot project for recruiting prisoners to work in the fishing industry has drawn criticism from at least 45 international human rights organisations, according to which the proposed scheme is comparable to the abusive conditions currently faced by immigrants in this sector. Similar concerns were also raised in 2014 by the British newspaper The Guardian and by the US State Department in its annual report on human trafficking.
In view of this situation, I would like to ask the Commission the following questions:
- 1.What is the current status of the Thai Government’s pilot project?
- 2.What stage has been reached in the planned negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement with Thailand?
- 3.Is the Commission taking into account the existing accusations of abusive social and working conditions in Thailand’s fishing sector?