TTIP

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a proposed mega trade deal that was negotiated between the European Union and the United States.

The original mandate to the European Commission stated: “the Agreement will include an appropriate dispute settlement mechanism”.

The investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism in TTIP has drawn fierce criticism from civil society groups from both sides of the Atlantic. They claimed in December 2013, in a letter to the European Commission and the Office of the United States Trade Representative that ISDS was “a one-way street by which corporations can challenge government policies, but neither governments nor individuals are granted any comparable rights to hold corporations accountable”.

In 2014, the European Commission launched a public consultation about the inclusion of ISDS in TTIP. The result was very clear: 97% of the 150,000 participants said no to ISDS.

The European Commission put forward in 2015 a proposal for an alternative mechanism, named investment court system, a move it said would make ISDS more transparent and allow states to appeal against multinationals’ challenges. But groups portrayed the suggested changes as putting “lipstick on a pig”, as they are merely cosmetic changes, and would still allow corporations to sue governments in parallel court settings.

Following strong public outcry and the election of Trump in the US, talks on a comprehensive agreement were put on hold in 2017.

Photo: Garry Knight / CC0 1.0

(March 2020)

Politico | 4-Jan-2016
The inclusion of an ISDS in an EU agreement could raise the likelihood of such cases being brought against all kinds of public interest and health protecting policies in the future.
El País | 29-Dec-2015
La perdida de protagonismo de los países más pobres, el acceso a los medicamentos o las cláusulas no vinculantes para el desarrollo sostenible son ejemplos de los riesgos que entrañaría para los ODS la construcción de un gran bloque comercial entre Estados Unidos y la Unión Europea.
El Diario | 14-Dec-2015
La posición real del PSOE ante los próximos desafíos económicos se vislumbra en sus planteamientos sobre el TTIP, que renuncian a la tradición socialista para volver a abrazar el neoliberalismo.
TNI | 10-Dec-2015
Comment les droits conférés aux entreprises par les accords de libre-échange de l’UE sabotent la transition énergétique.
TNI | 10-Dec-2015
Los derechos especiales para las grandes empresas propuestos en los acuerdos comerciales de la UE impiden la transición energética necesaria para luchar contra el cambio climático, según se desprende de un nuevo informe.
TNI | 10-Dec-2015
Proposed special rights for corporations in EU trade agreements threaten to prevent the necessary energy transition to tackle climate change according to a new report.
The Independent | 8-Dec-2015
The European Union has been caught trying to undermine any meaningful outcome from the UN climate talks in Paris.
BEUC | 3-Dec-2015
Although TPP seems a remote issue, it could have a direct impact on EU consumers.
Global Development And Environment Institute | 2-Dec-2015
TTIP is intended to remove “non-tariff barriers to trade”. But the barriers it is targeting are democratically adopted regulations, preventing or correcting damages that would result from unregulated private markets.
SSRN | 2-Dec-2015
Foreign investor protection provisions in trade and investment agreements tilt the playing field in favor of entrenched incumbents and against urgent action on climate.