Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Jean Blaylock
Raw materials in EU-Indonesia
Analysis by Koalisi Masyarakat Sipil untuk Keadilan Ekonomi (Koalisi MKE) and the European Trade Justice Coalition of the provisions on raw materials in the Trade in Goods and Energy & Raw Materials chapters of the EU-Indonesia CEPA The Trade in Goods chapter restricts Indonesia’s raw materials policy space because it prohibits most measures used to support domestic processing and industrial policy.
Take action for an ISDS free world
Big business is using secretive tribunals to sue governments for billions over decisions that that shape our collective future. We need to get rid of this anti-democratic system once and for all.
European ISDS scorecard
Challenging corporate power in trade policy across Europe since 2000. Formerly S2B
ISDS is a threat to our collective future
español | français | deutsch Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) threatens a just transition from fossil fuels and the urgent need for a social and ecological transformation for people and the planet. We welcome the recognition and inclusion of this risk within the thematic pillars of the First Conference on Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels. We call on governments to begin building a coalition of countries committed to freeing themselves from ISDS.
Open letter to the Council and Commission against provisional application of the EU-Mercosur agreement
ES | PT | FR | DE | NL | IT | SL Dear Ms Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Dear Mr Costa, President of the European Council, We urge you to respect democratic processes and refrain from applying the EU-Mercosur trade agreement before the European Parliament has exercised its right to vote on the deal.
Global civil society statement on Trump’s trade threats
Trump is using tariffs and trade threats to bully other countries in order to maintain US global power. Even though existing trade rules were shaped by US corporations, recently this hasn’t been enough to guarantee US dominance, so Trump is turning to brute force. To do so, he has exploited working people’s real frustrations with the current trading system to forcibly remake the international economy in the interests of US big business. We call on governments to stop appeasing Trump.
EU leaders approve toxic EU-Mercosur deal amid dissent
Today, in an unprecedented vote, a qualified majority of EU countries approved the toxic EU-Mercosur trade deal despite 25 years of dissent from civil society groups, farmers’ organisations and trade unions. This is the first time an EU trade agreement has been passed without consent of all member States, overruling objections from major European countries such as France and Poland.
Billion-dollar investor legal cases undermine sanctions and Ukraine’s defence
NEW – Frozen assets, hot claims: How sanctioned oligarchs & other investors sue over sanctions – full analysis and explainer infographic 9 December 2025 – Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever’s refusal to use immobilised Russian assets held at Euroclear for fear of legal claims exposes how investment treaties can constrain governments at a critical moment.
Toxic trade tour
The Toxic Trade Tour is hitting the road. From late October to late November we’ll be travelling across the EU to expose the EU-Mercosur deal, a toxic agreement that fuels climate breakdown, pesticide trade, and injustice. On 24 November, the EU Foreign Affairs Council may take a decision on the deal. A formal signing could follow on 5 December at the Mercosur summit in Brazil. The European Parliament vote is expected shortly after.
25 years from Seattle to Brussels
The European Trade Justice Coalition (formerly Seattle to Brussels or S2B) recently had its 25th anniversary. The keynote address was given by Luciana Ghiotto of Plataforma América Latina y el Caribe mejor sin TLC and TNI Did Trump steal our agenda?
EU-Indonesia deal: global civil society alliance calls for a stop
A European-Indonesian alliance of civil society organizations and trade unions criticises the political agreement on the EU-Indonesia free trade agreement being signed in Indonesia today. The organizations warn that this agreement threatens the environment, climate, and the rights of women, Indigenous Peoples, workers, small farmers and fisherfolk. Therefore the alliance calls upon governments and parliaments to veto the agreement.
Toxic Trade Alert: 400+ organisations urge political decision makers to drop EU-Mercosur deal
Just one week before a potential announcement of a new political agreement of the EU-Mercosur trade deal, 400 civil society organizations, social movements, think tanks and other social groups from Latin America and the European Union, representing millions of people on both sides of the Atlantic, demand an end to the negotiations of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement. They call it a “toxic deal” that sacrifices people, democracy, and the planet for corporate gain.
The EU-Mercosur trade deal must be stopped - NOW!
No more toxic trade deals between the EU and Latin American countries en castellano | em portugués | auf deutsch | en français | in het Nederlands We, the undersigned organisations from Latin America and the European Union, stand united in rejecting the EU-Mercosur trade deal. We call on policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic to finally stop this toxic trade agreement. Negotiated for more than 25 years behind closed doors, this outdated trade deal lacks any public participation or scrutiny.
An EU trade policy fit for the future
It is time to move on from a worn-out, broken model of trade policy and create a new approach to trade that is fit for the future. At present, trade rules tend to destroy decent jobs, drive down wages, damage the planet, and undermine high standards including for the protection of food safety, health and the climate. They particularly hurt countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa. There is increasing recognition of the need for change – not just in the EU but across the globe.
Learning session: green tech and trade rules
The green transition urgently needs a rollout and sharing of climate technologies – which is also a huge economic opportunity. Yet we see big business and powerful economies hoarding the licences and the instruction manuals. This forces the global South to pay those most responsible for causing the climate crisis in order to access the technologies needed to survive it, and limits the South’s ability to benefit from the economic potential.
EU exits the ECT
Today the EU took the final decision to exit the climate-wrecking Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), with a final green light from the Council. This is a massive victory for activists across Europe who have been calling for this to happen for years. And it is a key step in dismantling the secretive system of corporate tribunals that pose such a threat.
EU exits the ECT
Today the EU took the final decision to exit the climate-wrecking Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), with a final green light from the Council. This is a massive victory for activists across Europe who have been calling for this to happen for years. And it is a key step in dismantling the secretive system of corporate tribunals that pose such a threat.
Learning sessions
The European Trade Justice Coalition held a series of three learning sessions about issues on the cutting edge of trade policy and the way it impacts people and planet. Resource-rich countries in the Global South have been exploited for centuries, often with devastating consequences for local communities and the environment – and very little to show for in terms of economic development. As we move from the fossil age to a renewable future, certain “transition minerals” will be in high demand.
Learning sessions
Join the European Trade Justice Coalition at a series of three learning sessions about issues on the cutting edge of trade policy and the way it impacts people and planet. Resource-rich countries in the Global South have been exploited for centuries, often with devastating consequences for local communities and the environment – and very little to show for in terms of economic development. As we move from the fossil age to a renewable future, certain “transition minerals” will be in high demand.
Ask your MEP candidates to support a just EU trade policy
Demand trade justice politics from your candidates in the 2024 European Parliament elections. European trade and investment agreements are still not in line with EU´s climate and sustainable development ambitions. Trade policy and the European Green Deal are in stark contradiction. We, as EU citizens, want to put the planet and people before profit. And for this to happen, the next EU parliament must vote for a fundamental shift in trade politics.
European Parliament votes to exit climate-wrecking Energy Charter Treaty
Today the European Union took a step closer to exiting the high risk Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), when the European Parliament overwhelmingly voted to leave the treaty. This little known and outdated treaty is being used by the fossil fuel industry to sue governments for billions over climate policies. A growing number of countries have been walking away from the treaty, in order to put an end to the danger that it poses.
100 organizations from around the world call on Ecuador to defend its sovereignty against ISDS!
The undersigned organizations strongly encourage the people of Ecuador to vote NO to arbitration on April 21st! Investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) has been extremely detrimental to public policies that defend citizens, whether in matters of environmental protection, human rights or even tax justice.
100 organizations from around the world call on Ecuador to defend its sovereignty against ISDS!
The undersigned organizations strongly encourage the people of Ecuador to vote NO to arbitration on April 21st! Investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) has been extremely detrimental to public policies that defend citizens, whether in matters of environmental protection, human rights or even tax justice.
Photo story: Corporate Courts Vs The Climate - Global Justice Now
By: Jean Blaylock Date: 18 March 2022 Campaigns: Climate, Trade Fossil fuel companies are using secretive tribunals written into trade deals to sue governments for more than $18 billion over climate policy. These big polluters should be paying to fix the climate crisis they caused, but instead they want a payout. Energy Charter treaty Fossil fuel companies are using tribunals set up outside of national legal systems specifically for corporations to use – effectively they are ‘corporate courts’.
An India-UK trade deal could mean a race to the bottom for Indian workers
An India-UK trade deal could mean a race to the bottom for Indian workers Analysis 31 January 2022 Two themes loom over the announcement that the UK is launching trade talks with India – farmers and Big Pharma, says Jean Blaylock. Indian PM Narenda Modi greeting now Home Secretary Priti Patel MP in 2015. Credit: Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Cropped by User:Andrew Dalby Last year, India’s farmers had a stunning victory when year-long protests against ‘anti-farmer’ laws were successful.
Five problems the UK-Australia trade deal poses for the climate - Global Justice Now
By: Jean Blaylock Date: 15 June 2021 Campaigns: Climate, Trade How we grow, transport and buy and sell food is one of the key things for restoring our climate as well as for tackling inequality and creating a fairer society. Supporting local, sustainable production as a strong basis for our food system is vital. So you might think that all this talk of sending food halfway round the world in the UK-Australia trade deal is crazy in terms of food miles. And you would be right.
Trade Bill: Four years of demanding a say over trade deals - Global Justice
By: Jean Blaylock Date: 23 March 2021 Campaigns: Trade After four years of campaigning for trade democracy, today the Trade Bill has passed its final stage in the House of Lords, and will shortly become law. Over that time we have done a huge amount, and there have been some big ups and downs – at some points we won changes, only to see the government walk away from the whole bill or later on, overturn the things that had been won.
Good news! The US-UK trade deal is on hold
We’ve got some good news. The US has kicked the US-UK trade deal into the long grass. Throughout last year Donald Trump and Boris Johnson wanted to do this high risk deal in a hurry, but public pressure from activists stopped them from being able to hustle it through before the US election. Since then we’ve been waiting to hear if the Biden administration would pick up where Trump left off or not - but last week they said that they won’t. Instead, the deal has been put on hold.
How trade deals are fuelling climate breakdown - Global Justice Now
By: Jean Blaylock Date: 7 August 2020 Campaigns: Trade The US-UK trade deal isn’t just a threat to our food standards and public services, it’s also a threat to our world. The whole model of corporate globalisation that drives international trade today is a major cause of climate breakdown. At Global Justice Now, we see campaigning on trade and climate as interconnected. In particular, we need to take action on trade rules if we are to have any hope of tackling the climate crisis.
‘Corporate courts’ have taken from the poor and handed to the rich - TTIP will turbo-charge this redistribution
Huge corporations and the seriously wealthy will be the big winners from the controversial US-EU trade deal known as TTIP. That’s the implication of a new study which shows that billions of pounds have been won by giant companies like Mobil, EDF, Enron, Suez and Cargill, which have sued governments under similar treaties for taking action they believe to be ‘unfair’. The most controversial element of TTIP is the ‘corporate court’ system, formally called ISDS.
Britain: the newest ‘Pacific Island’ paradise?
Out of the European Union and into the Trans-Pacific Partnership In a somewhat surreal twist, in what is already an increasingly surreal global landscape, UK trade minister Liam Fox announced last Wednesday, 18 July, that the government will do a public consultation on whether the UK should seek to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) once the UK leaves the European Union next March.
Trump in your trolley: how big business is pushing for lower standards through a trade deal with the US - Global Justice Now
At Global Justice Now we’re proud to be outspoken. We take on issues that others are afraid to touch and we don’t make compromises. Support us with a donation and help us fight social and economic injustice around the globe.
US banned climate from UK trade talks
The US has banned mention of climate change from trade talks that Trump’s administration has been holding with the UK. Leaked documents show that the UK raised the issue of climate change only to be bluntly told it is off limits because it is too politically sensitive and a ‘lightening rod issue’.
When Trump said climate change was off-limits, the UK didn't even put up a fight - Global Justice Now
By: Jean Blaylock Date: 4 December 2019 Campaigns: Climate, Trade The US has banned mention of climate change from trade talks that Trump’s administration has been holding with the UK.
When Trump said climate change was off-limits, the UK didn't even put up a fight
The US has banned mention of climate change from trade talks that Trump’s administration has been holding with the UK.
Trade leaks show Trump has already pushed us into a more damaging Brexit
Boris Johnson knows his Brexit deal is worse for the UK economy - but Trump is calling the shots. That is clearly revealed in a set of leaked papers detailing trade talks between US and UK officials over the last three years. The documents show how the US administration has already successfully bullied Britain into taking a harder Brexit position, which is good for Trump’s geopolitical games and US big business, but bad for Britain’s economy and British welfare.
How Trump wants to force the NHS to pay more for medicines
Boris Johnson’s government has been adamant that drug pricing is not on the table for a trade deal with Trump. But the leaked trade papers of their secret meetings with the US exposed that this is simply not true. In fact, discussions on drug pricing have not just been taking place between the UK and US negotiators, they are very advanced.
A new post-Brexit trade body is avoiding scrutiny by claiming it doesn’t exist
The Department for International Trade must be more transparent The new Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) is claiming it doesn’t exist in order to avoid parliamentary scrutiny. The TRA is intended to be a new arms-length body to investigate complaints from UK businesses about unfair practices in international trade after Brexit. It replaces something currently done by the EU. In one sense, it clearly doesn’t exist.
Creating a trade model that works for everyone
Chris Southworth, ICC United Kingdom Secretary General talks to Rob Mulligan, Senior Vice President for policy and government affairs at the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), and Jean Blaylock, Coordinator at the Trade Justice Movement and Policy Advisor at Global Justice Now, on creating an inclusive trade model.
The gaping hole in the Trade Bill
Liam Fox announced a Trade Bill this morning, the day after a consultation on proposals to be included in the bill closed. What is most vital is what is missing from the bill – the absence of anything to ensure that trade policy is accountable to the public and parliament. Trade deals today have profound effects across the full range of domestic policy – health, environment, jobs, inequality, and climate.
5 principles to guide Britain's new trade policy
This past few weeks have been full of the politics of hope, a growing reminder that change is possible. It’s a vital reminder because a key source of power for corporate driven neoliberalism over the past four decades has been to insist that it is the only answer. Trade deals have been one of the most insidious contributors to those blinkers on our view of the world. They are written in secret and then imposed upon us as though they are the rules of the game – simply the way things have to be.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Jean
Contact Jean, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack