In Response To Growing Protests, EU Pulls Corporate Sovereignty Chapter From TAFTA/TTIP To Allow For

[BelgianMadCow]

In Response To Growing Protests, EU Pulls Corporate Sovereignty Chapter From TAFTA/TTIP To Allow For Public Consultation

Here on Techdirt, we've been writing about the dangers of corporate sovereignty for a while. In recent months, more and more people and organizations have pointed out that the plan to include an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) in the TAFTA/TTIP agreement currently being negotiated is fraught with dangers -- and also completely unnecessary given the fair and efficient legal systems that exist on both sides of the Atlantic. It seems that this chorus of disapproval has finally been noticed, in Brussels at least:

EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht today announced his decision to consult the public on the investment provisions of a future EU-US trade deal, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The decision follows unprecedented public interest in the talks. It also reflects the Commissioner's determination to secure the right balance between protecting European investment interests and upholding governments' right to regulate in the public interest. In early March, he will publish a proposed EU text for the investment part of the talks which will include sections on investment protection and on investor-to-state dispute settlement, or ISDS. This draft text will be accompanied by clear explanations for the non-expert. People across the EU will then have three months to comment.

That's a hugely significant admission that the European Commission's attempt simply to push ISDS through without explanation or consultation was a major tactical error. By failing to address the manifest problems with investor-state disputes, the European Commission allowed the overall sentiment towards TAFTA/TTIP to become increasingly negative. Clearly, what De Gucht hopes to achieve with this three-month pause is to convince people that ISDS is not a threat to national sovereignty, and thus to salvage the agreement as a whole.

Not covered on the Guardian. Not on DU. Only saw it in belgian MSM (in dutch) and on the Sueddeutsche (in german).

Coincidentally, we blocked the last EU summit in Brussels over this issue (I had to OP here, nowhere in english speaking media) and there was a protest of 30.000 in Berlin against TTIP and for fair prices for farmers. So you are not supposed to get ideas. Nothing to see here, move along.

[hootinholler]

1. I for one am glad to have you as a resource

Thanks for continuing to bring these tidbits from Europe here!

[BelgianMadCow]

2. Thank you, hootinholler.

That's worth a lot to me. Sometimes I feel silly for concurrently scanning all my news sources and DU and trying to post what you're not supposed to see, only to see it drop like a stone. But I guess many of us do. Thanks for your encouraging words.

[BelgianMadCow]

3. TTIP = TPP sister

So I think all of you who dislike the TPP plans can look at this as a small victory. Now, to raise hell in the allotted three months

[soundsgreat]

4. TTIP and TPP are instruments of the war of the Rich against the Poor

Thanks for posting

[RainDog]

5. k&r n/t

[pampango]

6. That is good news. Nice to have the EU as a negotiating partner. n/t

[BelgianMadCow]

7. It's been interesting, to say the least

The TPP is well in advance of the TTIP, and because of their similarity, we on this side were able to use our knowledge of TPP to raise questions about the TTIP. De Gucht tried to smooth out the waves (replying to a full frontal attack in the Guardian, for example) but it hasn't worked.

So if the EU now can, say enforce privacy rights and get rid of investor-state resolution, that can then be used to pressure for amending the TPP.

Though to be honest, I'm for killing the entire thing. 0,5 % in GDP growth over ten years, and for that we should risk all the rights we have built up and fought for? Doesn't pass the smell test.

[Egalitarian Thug]

8. K&R&Thank you for bringing these pieces here.

I'm told DU used to be The Place to get real information and get it early.
& R

[Egnever]

9. It was

And still is. The signal to noise ratio continues to rise though.

[Egalitarian Thug]

10. I check in here with morning coffee and occasionally for a few minutes here and there. I have

over 300 Christie threads trashed, and more god and guns threads than I can count.

[woo me with science]

11. K&R