Speaking ahead of a European Parliament vote on "legal certainty for investments outside the EU", GUE/NGL President Gabi Zimmer called for "respect for the decision of the Government of Argentina to renationalise part of REPSOL-YPF".

"People must be able to exercise their fundamental right to energy. The use of scarce resources must be relocated to serve the peoples' needs in order to fight against poverty and for respect for the environment."

Following the Commission's warning to the Argentinian government on any breach of the privileges of European capital, Zimmer said "the Argentinian government has the right to exercise its economic and political sovereignty. The EU should stop acting as lobbyists for the interests of multinationals like Repsol and focus on defending the public interest within both the EU and countries with which it has agreements."

"My group has tabled an alternative resolution of support for the legitimate decision of the Argentinian government" Zimmer concluded.

YPF was created by Argentina in 1922 and privatized during a wave of neoliberal policies in the 1990s.

The vote in the Strasbourg plenary will take place at 12.00. 

GUE/NGL Press Contacts:

David Lundy +32 485 50 58 12

Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20

Sonja Giese (DE) +32 486 94 50 21 

david.lundy@europarl.europa.eu

gabrielle.kavanagh@europarl.europa.eu

sonja.giese@europarl.europa.eu  

European United Left / Nordic Green Left

European Parliamentary Group

www.guengl.eu