Brussels, 18/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of the European trade ministers meeting on 21 November, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling for a “fundamental recast” of the free trade agreement with Canada (CETA) and the negotiations with the US (TTIP).
On Tuesday 18 November, ETUC reiterated that it is opposed to the CETA for three reasons - because the CETA includes an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism which, in the ETUC's view, “gives legal advantages to foreign investors”; because the CETA does not unequivocally exclude public services in European countries from areas that can be liberalised; and because the CETA does not include enforcement procedures to guarantee the implementation of ILO standards. Furthermore, ETUC criticises the CETA as “a Trojan horse for bringing in the same unacceptable approach to be taken” in TTIP.
“Trade unions on both sides of the Atlantic are united in wanting agreements negotiated in the public interest, not for vested interests, and that do not privatise the gains of trade while socialising the losses. Our tests are clear - CETA does not meet them and if TTIP follows the same course it will fail them too”, insists ETUC secretary general, Bernadette Ségol. Hailing the intention of European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström to initiate a fresh start to the Commission's approaches to TTIP, Ségol asks her to “put the deals on hold and review whether they really do respect democracy, will generate decent jobs and enhance workers' rights”. (EH)