Brussels, 24/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - For the second time since she took up her post at the end of 2014, the Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström, travelled to Austria on Monday22 February to promote the EU/US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership free trade negotiations that have been seen in a rather bad light by the Austrian public.
In addition to meetings with the Austrian Vice Chancellor, Reinhold Mitterlehner, political party leaders, parliamentarians and union and business representatives, Malmström also took part in a public debate on the TTIP at the Austrian Chamber of Labour on Monday evening, where she said she acknowledged the concerns expressed by many Austrians with regard to this trade negotiation.
The Commissioner provided a number of examples of the way in which the EU approach has developed in order to respond to these concerns and the many issues that have provoked much criticism in Austria and elsewhere: transparency, questions involving the protection of public services and high standards, as well as investment protection.
Malmström provided assurances that the new system proposed by the EU - The Special Investment Court (SIC) seeks to reform the previous Investor State Dispute Settlement system (ISDS) guaranteeing the right of states to regulate as part of public policy (protection of public health, environment, labour et cetera.) - and also guarantee Austrian companies a level playing field with the US.
The Austrian branch of the Greenpeace NGO suggested that the SIC replacement of the ISDS only introduces a number of cosmetic modifications to the substance (see EUROPE 11496). (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)