Trade

How is big business using the EU's trade and investment agreements to sideline people, planet and democracy?

Tech lobby eyes opportunities created by new EU-US Trade and Tech Council

28.09.2021

Tomorrow EU and US counterparts will sit down together for the first meeting of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC). This is a new transatlantic 'regulatory cooperation' effort with a special focus on the tech sector. Much is at stake in these discussions: from regulating tech giants to standards for artificial intelligence. Corporate lobbyists are keen to get a new industry-driven tool.

$Do not frack ECT Slovenia$

Investor privileges (ISDS)

How the Energy Charter Treaty could faciliate a toxic fracking project in Slovenia

30.06.2021

UK gas company Ascent Resources is threatening to sue Slovenia for €120 million under the Energy Charter Treaty. Why? Just because the Slovenian government demanded an environmental impact assessment for a controversial fracking project.

Covert lobbying

Conquering EU courts?

28.06.2021

In the run up to a European Commission proposal to protect cross-border investments in the EU, large banks, law firms and business lobby groups are pushing for vast new legal privileges for corporations. If they get their way, a special EU court exclusively for corporations could make European governments pay huge sums of money as compensation for regulations in the public interest.

Investor privileges (ISDS)

Ditching gas could see EU face hundreds of billions in compensation claims

17.03.2021

To keep temperature rises below 1.5oC, the EU needs to decommission existing gas infrastructure as well as stop building new fossil gas infrastructure. But the gas industry has a powerful weapon to stop this happening: the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT).

Energy Charter Treaty versus Climate Urgency

01.03.2021

In this new episode of EU Watchdog Radio we dive into one of the biggest examples of ‘cognitive dissonance’ in recent history. Every (European) policymaker knows by now that fossil fuels should stay in the ground, but yet they keep defending the EU’s membership of a treaty that defends fossil fuel investments: the Energy Charter Treat (ECT).

Take action to end the climate-killing Energy Charter Treaty

23.02.2021

Take urgent action to end the climate-killing Energy Charter Treaty. Polluters can use it to sue governments that decide to keep coal, oil, and gas in the ground. Sign our petition to end the madness!

Investor privileges (ISDS)

Aufräumen mit den Mythen um den Energiecharta-Vertrag

15.12.2020

Inmitten wachsender Besorgnis darüber, dass der Energiecharta-Vertrag dringend notwendigen Klimaschutz untergräbt, verbreiten seine Nutzniesser Propaganda. Dieser Leitfaden deckt die Mythen rund um den ECT auf und gibt Einblicke in eine Welt schmutziger Energie, billiger Profite und des Missbrauchs durch Konzerne.

Investor privileges (ISDS)

Cashing in on the pandemic: how lawyers are preparing to sue states over COVID-19 response measures

18.05.2020

As governments take action to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent economic collapse big law firms urge corportions to challenge governments' emergency measures in order to defend its profits. In a parallel corporate justice system called ISDS states could soon face multi-million dollar lawsuits.

Investor privileges (ISDS)

Silent expansion

15.04.2020

The Energy Charter Treaty is becoming increasingly controversial – not least because of its potential to obstruct the energy transition. Nonetheless, many countries, particularly in the global south, are in the process of joining this dangerous agreement.

Transport

The logistics of globalisation: Is this the world you want?

20.03.2020

EU Watchdog Radio is a new podcast hosted jointly by CEO and Counter Balance. In the third episode, Nicholas Hildyard, UK-based researcher and activist of NGO The Corner House, gives some fascinating insights in the world of logistics.

TTIP

A fast track to weaker food standards

19.03.2020

Will the EU concede to the demands of US negotiators on food standards? While the EU's narrow negotiation mandate makes this seem impossible, the Commission can in fact circumvent the mandate by using other methods that make it much easier to weaken standards – and tilt voting procedures to their own advantage.

Green Deal or EU-US Trade Deal?

06.03.2020

EU Watchdog Radio is a new podcast hosted jointly by Brussels-based lobby watchdog Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) and Counter Balance. In this second episode Nina Holland and Kenneth Haar, both researchers from CEO, analyze the ongoing negotiations on a EU-US trade deal and what impact this ‘TTIP-light’ could have on the so called European Green Deal.

Trade

Tech lobby eyes opportunities created by new EU-US Trade and Tech Council

How the Energy Charter Treaty could faciliate a toxic fracking project in Slovenia

Conquering EU courts?

Ditching gas could see EU face hundreds of billions in compensation claims

Energy Charter Treaty versus Climate Urgency

Take action to end the climate-killing Energy Charter Treaty

Aufräumen mit den Mythen um den Energiecharta-Vertrag

Cashing in on the pandemic: how lawyers are preparing to sue states over COVID-19 response measures

Silent expansion

The logistics of globalisation: Is this the world you want?

A fast track to weaker food standards

Green Deal or EU-US Trade Deal?

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