The civic, anti-liberal, pro-European mobilisation has opened a new era for Europe. More and more people reject neo-liberal policies and their impact on the whole of social. Following the “no” vote in France and the Netherlands, the demands of Europe’s citizens must be heard - starting with the complete withdrawal of the proposed European Constitution. : Hence this petition, whose intent is to express these demands. It is being supported in every country of the Union by political, social, and community organisations that aim at human emancipation in Europe and throughout the world.

The originators of this European Appeal, furthermore, commit themselves to a process of working in an open and democratic manner for Another Europe for Another World.

As citizens and residents, we want to build a common future of shared progress for Europe. We wish to transcend the crisis of neo-liberal Europe to build a social, democratic, feminist, ecological and peaceful Europe; a Europe of solidarity between all its peoples, and with all the peoples of the world. To this end we therefore demand a profound change of European institutions and policies the applying of immediate measures. This particularly implies:

– democratic drawing up of organising principles for Europe through a process of public debate and ratification by universal suffrage. The undemocratic neo-liberal system must give way to co-operation, solidarity and to rights and powers for its citizens.

– a new institutional framework for the EU based on the principles of liberty, equality, pluralism, self-determination of peoples and secularism. Based on the primacy of fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual, it will include increased powers of control and intervention by citizens, democratisation of work places, respect for the rights of minorities and make all decision-making bodies subject to elected assemblies.

– challenging the relations of domination between men and women with a view to attaining true equality in all areas. Binding measures will be adopted to this effect, with harmonisation towards the most progressive provisions, in particular the adoption of a legal framework to combat violence against women.

– fighting all forms of discrimination in private and public life.

– urgent measures against poverty and social exclusion.

– establishing a set of new policies aimed at eradicating unemployment and instability and providing job security and training. This entails combating all forms of dumping and redirecting the budget, taxation, and credit to establish a new style of development that respects the environment and creates employment

– mobilising resources so as to overcome the gap between different parts of the continent and especially in favour of the eastern countries.

– challenging the role and mission of the European Central Bank, the principles of the Stability Pact and the “Lisbon Agenda”.

– convergence, towards the highest levels, of social welfare provisions and remunerations (wages, minimum social benefits, unemployment benefits, pensions etc.); recognition of the right to work and to having an income; adopting a new directive to reduce working hours and improve working conditions.

– withdrawing the Bolkestein Directive and all other neo-liberalising directives, challenging the privatisations of the last twenty years; vital sectors, particularly in the areas of health, education and culture, must be freed from the rules of competition; to this end, European public services must be created in co-operation with national and regional public services, as, for example and electricity.

– challenging the World Trade Organisation’s free trade policies and halting the GATS negotiations.

– adopting a European Environmental Charter to advance a new development model and a common agricultural policy based on security and sovereignty in food supply.

– social, economic and environmental development policies for marginalised regions and “peripheral” (overseas) areas.

– establishing a European citizenship based on residence, a process to give legal recognition to those people who do not have official documentation and challenging the Schengen agreements.

– refusing processes that lead to war and the militarisation of the European Union, which implies being strictly independent of NATO.

– increasing European Union development assistance, and setting up policies of co-operation and solidarity in international negotiations with countries of the South.

Throughout Europe, sign this European Appeal!

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Please send the signatures to: appeal-petition-eu ras.eu.org