STOP TTIP, CETA: European Citizens' Initiative

[Oscar]

NEWSLETTER: STOP TTIP Eur. Citizens' Initiative - Recent developments; Reg. Cooperation; Lawyers vs private tribunals; ISDS etc

[ Newsletter from European NGO, STOP TTIP, Self-organised European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) against TTIP and CETA ]

[ https://stop-ttip.org/ ]

[ http://www.newsletter-webversion.de/?c= ... 5snsd1-yic ]

Dear friends, (Reference to TTIP & CETA)

Over 1,440,000 signatures have been collected and eleven EU member states have reached their county quorum. Sweden is about to join them. The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary have managed the 50% threshold, or are very close. We want to collect at least two million signatures by October 2015. Our campaign is moving at a fast pace, and there is still much to do! You can help by sharing this newsletter or read here what further steps you can take to support the ECI.

Last week members of the anti-TTIP movement from across the EU and US gathered for a strategy meeting in Brussels. The event brought together 200 activists to discuss joint activities for 2015. In the first half of 2015 the Global Day of Action against TTIP, CETA and similar agreements on April 18th will play a central role (more on this soon). What’s more, the European Parliament is preparing two important resolutions (see the article below). We’ll closely follow this process with analyses, statements and actions.

The ratification of the CETA agreement could begin as early as the 2nd half of 2015. It is currently being checked for legal accuracy; it must then be translated into all the official EU languages. The European Commission will subsequently ask the Council of the EU and the European Parliament for approval. But before all this can happen, a clarification is required on whether or not CETA interferes with the decision-making powers of EU Member States. If so (and we assume that’s the case), CETA must also be ratified by all Member States. In any case, CETA’s ratification is not likely to be completed before 2016 or perhaps even 2017. This means we still have time to derail this sinister deal. You can access other exciting information on the progress of the campaign against TTIP and CETA via the articles below.

Stay tuned,
Your Stop TTIP campaign team
(Michael Efler, Stephanie Roth and Cornelia Reetz)

No.1/2015

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NEWS:

Regulatory Cooperation: an attack on democracy
In recent weeks, the issue of regulatory cooperation has moved up the agenda. The reason for this was a leak of the EU Commission’s position on the subject. It detailed how an intergovernmental body is to be created that can interfere with draft bills before parliaments have even had the chance to discuss them. US and corporate lobbyists would thus have a say in our laws! Find out more in this video or read the detailed analysis written by Corporate Europe Observatory. more

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Lawyers against private corporate tribunals
Many voices throughout the EU, the US and beyond have strongly criticised such tribunals and their inclusion in TTIP, CETA and other free-trade deals. An increasing number of legal experts and lawyers are now voicing their concerns too. In the German-speaking world alone this includes eminent voices such as Herta Däubler-Gmelin, Dr. Markus Krajewski, Erich Schweighöfer (professor of law from Vienna) and now Prof. Dr. Siegfried Broß, a former judge at no less than Germany’s Constitutional Court. more

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Public Consultation on ISDS: a disaster for the Commission
As you may know, last year the EU Commission carried out a public consultation on the reform of ISDS in TTIP. Its results were published in January: 97% of participants are categorically against ISDS in TTIP. Only 3% of respondents reacted to the Commission’s question on how ISDS could be "improved". Does that mean 97% answered incorrectly or did the Commission possibly ask the wrong questions? more

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EU Parliamentary activities on TTIP and CETA
In the European Parliament two resolutions relevant to us are being prepared. First a resolution on ISDS (Investor-State Dispute Settlement) which is likely to be launched in March. The second is a resolution directly dealing with TTIP and will be voted on in plenary in May. What is at stake? More