EPSU update on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA)
This update reports on recent developments and EPSU activities on trade, in particular regarding CETA, TTIP and TiSA. All EPSU trade updates and briefings are on the new EPSU website available under the network Public Services, document type: Papers and publications.
Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
The negotiations on CETA were concluded in August 2014 but discussion continued on the investment protection provisions and it was not until 5 July 2016 that the European Commission formally proposed to the Council the EU the signature and conclusion of CETA. Following a decision by the Council (expected in September) it will be possible for member states to provisionally apply CETA. Its full entry into force will be subject to the EU’s conclusion, through a Council decision with the consent of the European Parliament, and by all Member States through the relevant national ratification procedures. Friends of the Earth Europe (FOEE) , EPSU and the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) criticised the decision to apply CETA before national parliamentarians had their say in a joint PR released in July. The three groups expressed their worries about the negative effects the agreement would have on workers, low income households, social rights and the environment. Of particular concern is the inclusion of the Investment Court System (ICS) in the agreement. ICS is a rebranded version of the controversial Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanism (ISDS) which maintains its core flaws. For the joint PR see here.
In April 2016 the EPSU Executive Committee agreed an ‘EPSU roadmap to oppose ratification of CETA’. The roadmap was drafted during an EPSU/ETUI training seminar “preventing the liberalisation of public services in CETA, TTIP and beyond” organised on 2-4 March 2016 in London. The report of the meeting is available here. The main reasons for opposing CETA were communicated on 14 March 2016 to the EP Trade Committee (INTA) which held its first exchange of views on the finalised agreement (for the letter see here) .
Read the EPSU update on CETA, TTIP, TiSA.
