las empresas mandan: ¿quién paga la cuenta?

This report by Friends of the Earth International and Corporate Europe Observatory argues that the World Trade Organization (WTO) is systematically influenced by transnational corporations to create trade and investment rules that prioritize corporate profit over public health, environmental protection, and community rights.

• The authors contend that WTO rules and treaties are shaped by the privileged access of transnational corporations to trade negotiators, resulting in norms that benefit large companies at the expense of local communities and the environment.
• The report highlights a conflict between the 'precautionary principle'—which allows governments to restrict potentially dangerous activities despite scientific uncertainty—and the 'sound science' approach pushed by US corporate lobby groups like the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) to remove trade barriers.
• The US government is accused of using the WTO to force the European Union to accept genetically modified organisms (GMOs), driven by pressure from agribusiness giants such as Monsanto and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).
• The report claims that the WTO's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS/ADPIC) restricts access to essential medicines in developing countries by protecting pharmaceutical patents for 20 years, benefiting companies like Pfizer.
• The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS/AGCS) is criticized for promoting the privatization of essential services like water and energy, making these privatizations 'irreversible' and limiting the ability of future governments to return services to public control.
• The report cites the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA/TLCAN) Chapter 11 as a warning, noting how it allows corporations to sue governments over public interest regulations, such as the Metalclad case where Mexico was ordered to pay approximately $16 million.
• Corporate influence is allegedly undermining Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), with the report stating that the WTO may prioritize trade rules over climate and biodiversity agreements like the Kyoto Protocol and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
• The report documents specific negative impacts of privatization and corporate projects, including water service failures by Suez in Uruguay, energy issues caused by Endesa in Bogotá, and the Camisea gas project by Halliburton in Peru.

APA

Sullivan, D., Doherty, A., Hall, R., & Hoedeman, O. (2003). las empresas mandan: ¿quién paga la cuenta? Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/businessrules-esp.pdf

Chicago

Sullivan, Damian, Ann Doherty, Ronnie Hall, and Olivier Hoedeman. las empresas mandan: ¿quién paga la cuenta? Friends of the Earth International, 2003. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/businessrules-esp.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sullivan |first1=Damian |last2=Doherty |first2=Ann |last3=Hall |first3=Ronnie |last4=Hoedeman |first4=Olivier |title=las empresas mandan: ¿quién paga la cuenta? |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=August 2003 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/businessrules-esp.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sullivan2003las, author = {Sullivan, Damian and Doherty, Ann and Hall, Ronnie and Hoedeman, Olivier}, title = {{las empresas mandan: ¿quién paga la cuenta?}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2003}, month = aug, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/businessrules-esp.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }