Brussels, 23/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - Visiting Berlin on Monday 23 February to promote the transatlantic trade and investment partnership agreement (TTIP), European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström underlined the need to “be very careful” on the way the chapter on investment protection and the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) are tackled in TTIP.
“We must be very careful. This is the most sensitive TTIP issue”, Malmström stated during a speech at a TTIP conference organised by Germany's social democratic SPD party. “We are still working on a European approach, after the recent public consultation. A responsible approach to this issue needs to recognise that Europe, as the world's largest foreign investor, has an interest in rules that mean investors are fairly treated. However, it also needs to make [sure] that companies cannot abuse investment agreements and that there is no ambiguity about Europe or Germany's right to regulate”, Malmström stated. “I believe it is possible to find a balanced investment system. One that protects investments but provides the cast iron guarantees people need”, she concluded. (Emmanuel Hagry)