Why trade matters in the fight against climate breakdown
Jean Blaylock looks at the multiple ways that trade deals undermine effective climate action. During the recent election in the UK, documents outlining the government’s trade talks with the Trump administration were leaked. Among other things, they showed that when…
Civil Society Recommendations for the investment chapter of the revised EU-Mexico FTA
12 February, 2018 - Civil Society Recommendations for the investment chapter of the revised EU-Mexico FTA1 Download the PDF version (EN) (ES) To Mr. Ildefonso Guagardo, Secretary of Economy of Mexico Ms. Cecilia Malsmtröm, Trade Commissioner, European Union; Mr. José…
S2B position on the European Commission proposal for a multilateral ISDS mechanism
ISDS at a dangerous crossroads S2B position on the European Commission proposal for a multilateral investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism Globalisation is at a dangerous crossroads. One path leads to stronger protection for human rights and the environment and to…
Letter to Chancellor Kern on CETA, by over 120 Canadian and European organisations
Letter sent on October 6 to Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern, and to the SPÖ governing board. Download the PDF version Christian Kern Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria Federal Chancellery Ballhausplatz 2 1010 Vienna Austria October 6, 2016…
The EU destabilises and blackmails African states to secure its economic interests.
Since the 2000s the European Union has been negotiating so called Economic Partnerships Agreements (EPAs) with ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific Rim) countries as a substitute to preferences offered by the Lomé and Cotonou agreements, outdated along WTO rules. Those regional…
Signing away sovereignty
How investment agreements threaten regulation of the mining industry in the Philippines Mining firms have been one of the main corporate sectors worldwide to take advantage of investor-state dispute mechanisms to sue states for regulation of mining, having sued governments…
Open letter from Myanmar Civil Society on EU-Myanmar investment agreement
Concerns of Myanmar Civil Society on 'Sustainability Impact Assessment' (SIA), in support of an investment protection agreement between EU and Myanmar April 5, 2016 Last week, the EU published its ‘Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) in support of an investment protection…
280 organisations from Europe, Canada and the US denounce the inclusion of investors’ rights in TTIP
Monday 22nd February, 2016 – Ahead of the 12th round of TTIP negotiations, 280 civil society organisations from across Europe, with the support of US and Canadian groups, have called on the European Commission and the United States Trade Representative…
New EC trade strategy reinforces corporate bias
The Seattle to Brussels (S2B) network believes the new European Commission (EC) trade strategy “Trade for All” is a continuation of the EC's existing trade strategy: it remains obsessed by serving EU corporate interests. Trade for All, launched yesterday (Wednesday),…
To change a BIT is not enough
On the need to create sound policy frameworks for investment. By Burghard Ilge, Both Ends, September 2015 The international legal system that governs international investment flows is shaped by a network of about 3000 Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and other…
Why CEE governments should reject investment arbitration in TTIP
Central and Eastern European countries at the crossroads Central and Eastern European countries find themselves at a crossroad regarding their investment policies with the US. One of these road will lead to a set of rules cast in iron that…