Brexit

A deregulatory zeal continues to sweep through the European Commission and member states, now turbo-charged by the ‘innovation principle’ and the new ‘One In, One Out’ mantra.

The EU-UK trade talks begin with the UK objective to use the corporate-friendly EU-Canada agreement CETA as a template. This is not a good start for democracy nor the public interest.

Any future EU-UK trade agreement post-Brexit will have to deal with the financial sector. And the financial lobby has been pushing its own model for long. Their risky plans on 'regulatory cooperation' are uncovered in this report from Corporate Europe Observatory, LobbyControl, Observatoire des Multinationales and SpinWatch.

All eyes may be on the 'Brexit' process, but far more attention needs to be given to the way in which post-Brexit EU-UK trade negotiations are being conducted. While corporate interests seek to shape the future trade deal in their own interests, the public remains in the dark.

91 per cent of meetings held by UK trade ministers (10/2016 - 06/2017) and 70 per cent of meetings held by UK Brexit ministers have been with business, too often big business, interests. This corporate bias in ministerial access is part of an ongoing trend.

Brexit could become a cash cow for law firms that make millions when corporations sue nation states via trade and investment agreements. They're paving the way for Brexit-related corporate claims against the UK & touting the UK as a gateway for future investor claims against EU member states.

Corporate lobbyists have enjoyed the biggest share of consultations with the UK’s Department for Exiting the EU, as well as those with the EU Brexit Task Force. New research by Corporate Europe Observatory and Global Justice Now reveals their privileged access and the secrecy around these lobby meetings.

UK trade secretary Liam Fox has come under fire for the strong business bias of his Department for International Trade's lobby meetings, as he launches unofficial trade negotiations with the US today - a bias that raises questions about the way a possible post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal might be skewed in the interest of Big Business.

CEO presents some first reflections on the UK's vote for Brexit.

In the run up to the UK referendum on EU membership on 23 June, Corporate Europe Observatory has tabled a series of freedom of information requests to find out how UK finance lobbies have been influencing the referendum negotiations and the Capital Markets Union. But the Brexit-Bremain referendum seems to be a freedom of information black hole.

From the day a referendum on UK membership of the EU was first announced in 2013, the financial sector started using Cameron’s re-negotiation process to promote its deregulatory agenda. Sometimes lobbying was required, but more often the UK government did its work for them.

As the UK goes to the polls, CEO reflects upon the similarities between the UK and EU's 'better regulation' agendas.