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Germany

November 2002
German Government announces further ECA reform

In its Coalition Agreement of October 16th, 2002, the re-elected German Government, consisting of the Socialdemocrat and the Green Party, announced its plan to introduce new proceedings for Hermes guarantees. The Coalition Agreement reads as follows:

"Taking the agreed guidelines on fair globalization, ecological and social interests into consideration we will start an external trade offensive. By the consistent deployment and advancement of instruments of external trade promotion we hope to strengthen in particular the commitment of small and middle income enterprises to foreign markets. With the deployment of financial and guaranteeing instruments (Hermes covering, investment guarantees) we strengthen the competitive ability of German enterprises addressing the ecological, social and developmental concerns. (…)
In the area of external trade promotion all decisions about insurance/guarantees will be transparent. In connection with export guarantee decisions, World Bank standards are to be observed and examinations of human rights violations should take place."

Also, an export initiative for renewable energy is announced, in which Hermes might play a role.

NGOs working for a Hermes reform welcome this statement. They now demand that the current Hermes guidelines be strongly enhanced. In the first coalition agreement in 1998, a Hermes reform addressing the environmental, social and developmental concerns had been announced as well, but the so-called reform that was passed in 2001 remained vague and non-binding, just as the following agreement in the OECD . NGOs therefore demand that the government implement this announcement in binding guidelines within the near future and work for an upward harmonization within the OECD during the 2003 review process.

For further information please contact
WEED (World Economy, Ecology & Development), Heike Drillisch, heike.drillisch@weedbonn.org, Tel. +49-2263-48 10 47
Urgewald, Regine Richter, regine@urgewald.de, Tel. +49-30- 44 33 91 69