International trade

The EU's trade policy aims to increase the 'competitiveness' of European companies – by guaranteeing them access to raw materials through often secretive free trade deals and by making sure that regulations do not stand in their way. CEO is challenging this craze for so-called competitiveness, which we believe in reality advances the interests of corporate Europe at the expense of social and environmental justice.

Big Business Britain: How corporate lobbyists are dominating meetings with trade ministers

July 24th 2017The power of lobbies, International trade
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.

Trump: Corporate trade as usual, now with added xenophobia

May 22nd 2017Economy & finance, International trade
Reports of TTIP's death have been greatly exaggerated; its agenda fits all too well with Trump’s corporate buddies and with the EU’s corporate trade agenda - his plea to change US trade policy and populist outbursts notwithstanding. It is likely to return in one form or another.

No global ISDS court for corporations

March 14th 2017International trade
The European Commission is set to entrench the dangerous investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system, which foreign investors can use to subvert democratic decision-making. CEO opposes this attempt to establish a global super court for corporations.

Gold-digging with investor-state lawsuits

February 13th 2017Environment, International trade
Canadian mining company Gabriel Resources is using an investor-state lawsuit to push through its illegal toxic goldmine in the historical Romanian village of Roşia Montană. The claim foreshadows the multi-billion $ claims which could hit EU member states if the EU-Canada trade deal CETA comes into force.

European and Canadian civil society groups call for rejection of CETA

November 28th 2016International trade
Over 450 public interest groups from across Europe and Canada today published an open letter urging legislators to vote against the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). They joined forces to defend people and planet against the threats posed by the EU-Canada agreement.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Follow us on social media

Event

Attac European Summer University (France)

April 6th 2017EU in crisis, The power of lobbies, Water, Climate and energy, Economy & finance, Environment, Food and agriculture, International trade

We will be joining activists, organisations and social movements from across Europe for the Attac Summer University in France.

Press release

CETA approval in EU Parliament sinks corporate hooks into European democracy

February 15th 2017International trade

Despite unprecedented public opposition, the European Parliament today approved the controversial EU-Canada CETA deal. The vote flies in the face of millions of people, as well as trade unions, environmentalists and a broad civil society coalition who called for a rejection of the agreement.

Press release

Toxic mines or costly lawsuits – new report shows how CETA will corner governments

February 13th 2017International trade

Ahead of Wednesday’s Parliament vote on CETA, a new report shows the devastating effects the agreement could have on EU member states, whose citizens and courts block harmful mines. A lawsuit over the controversial Roşia Montană mine in Romania highlights governments’ vulnerability to expensive investor-state challenges.

Press release

CETA hands legislative reins to lobbyists, new report shows

February 8th 2017International trade

The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) will further empower corporate lobbyists by providing them with early, exclusive access to the legislative process, a report co-published by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) shows.