Trade

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

Profiting from injustice

27.11.2012

A small club of international law firms, arbitrators and financial speculators are fuelling lawsuits by foreign investors against states that cost taxpayers billions of dollars and prevent legislation in the public interest. Emblematic cases include tobacco giant Philip Morris suing Uruguay and Australia over health warnings on cigarette packets, and Swedish energy multinational Vattenfall seeking $3.7bn from Germany following that country’s decision to phase-out nuclear energy.

Chapter 5: Speculating on injustice: Third-party funding of investment disputes

27.11.2012

“The whole theory is to take the legal system and turn it into a stock market.” Quote from John H. Beisner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Chapter 4: Who guards the guardians? The conflicting interests of investment arbitrators

27.11.2012

When I wake up at night and think about arbitration, it never ceases to amaze me that sovereign states have agreed to investment arbitration at all [...] Three private individuals are entrusted with the power to review, without any restriction or appeal procedure, all actions of the government, all decisions of the courts, and all laws and regulations emanating from parliament. Quote from Juan Fernández-Armesto, arbitrator from Spain.

Legalised profiteering - how corporate lawyers are fuelling an investment arbitration boom

10.11.2011

Across the world, corporate lawyers have taken full advantage of an unjust investment regime to make multinationals sue sovereign governments for millions of Euros. At great personal financial gain, they have actively pursued cases, exploited loopholes and created an explosion in the number and costs of dispute settlement cases - with devastating social, environmental and budgetary impacts for sovereign states and ordinary people. A new briefing paper by CEO and TNI shines a light on their vested interests.

MEP: Raw Materials Initiative only in the interest of big business

27.06.2011

Irish MEP Paul Murphy of the European United Left Group (GUE) is a member of the Committee on International Trade (INTA), one of the committees, which commented on the EU’s latest Raw Materials Initiative. He shared his reflections on the initiative with Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), described what kind of raw materials policy is needed and talked about the role of corporate lobbying in the European Parliament.

Europe's resource grab – Vested interests at work in the European Parliament

27.06.2011

On 30 June, the European Parliament’s industry, energy and research committee (ITRE) is due to vote on the EU’s Raw Materials Initiative, establishing guidelines for Europe's future policy on natural resource use. The Parliament’s report could effectively give the green light to mining in protected European nature reserves as well as a resource grab in Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Arctic.

EESC slams Commission on EU-India FTA

21.04.2011

Madi Sharma, a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), which was set up to advise the EU institutions, described the talks as “wrong and non-transparent”. Sharma, who is the EESC's lead person on a report looking at the FTA, is also a businesswoman, who trades with India. She presented her "preliminary considerations" for the report in a meeting in Brussels on 11 April.

INTA row about big business lobbying

14.04.2011

Corporate lobbying triggered an angry debate in the European Parliament’s committee on international trade (INTA) on 13 April, following Carl Schlyter MEP's interview with Corporate Europe Observatory. Talking about his role as rapporteur for the European Parliament on the future of EU member states' bilateral investment treaties, Schlyter had said he had never seen such an extreme example of MEPs focusing solely on big business interests. His comments were heavily criticised by MEPs from the European People's Party (EPP) who defended the importance of listening to industry lobbyists.

Investment rights stifle democracy

12.04.2011

Next week, MEPs are due to vote on a report from the Parliament’s international trade committee (INTA) about Europe’s international investment policy – giving guidelines for the rights of foreign investors under future EU trade deals. The vote follows fierce attempts by law firms, industry and member states to enshrine the right of foreign investors to challenge national laws that affect their profits. As a result, European member states could soon find domestic laws challenged by foreign companies – and politicians will have no powers to intervene.

MEP: lobbyism main reason for bad policy

24.03.2011

Swedish MEP Carl Schlyter (Green) has told Corporate Europe Observatory that lobbyism is the main reason why the EU makes bad policies. Interviewed about his role as rapporteur for the European Parliament on the future of EU member states' bilateral investment treaties, he spoke about the corporate counter attack on his report, MEPs tabling amendments for industry and governments and about why he turned down requests for meetings with corporate lobbyists.

No business bias – are you joking?

14.09.2010

Two weeks ago, Corporate Europe Observatory and India FDI Watch published a report that revealed how the negotiations for a free trade agreement between the EU and India had been hijacked by business interests. The EU Commission has responded to the report by rejecting the allegations, claiming that there was no business bias in the trade talks.

EU-India Trade Invaders - How big business is driving the EU-India free trade negotiations

01.09.2010

A new joint report from Corporate Europe Observatory and India FDI Watch reveals how, in the negotiations for a trade deal between the EU and India, the EU Commission and the Indian government have handed the agenda over to corporate lobby groups. This big-business-first agenda will put at risk the livelihoods of millions of small farmers, street traders and patients. The report shows how negotiators on both sides have entered into a symbiotic working relationship with big corporations and their lobby groups.

Trade

Profiting from injustice

Chapter 5: Speculating on injustice: Third-party funding of investment disputes

Chapter 4: Who guards the guardians? The conflicting interests of investment arbitrators

Legalised profiteering - how corporate lawyers are fuelling an investment arbitration boom

MEP: Raw Materials Initiative only in the interest of big business

Europe's resource grab – Vested interests at work in the European Parliament

EESC slams Commission on EU-India FTA

INTA row about big business lobbying

Investment rights stifle democracy

MEP: lobbyism main reason for bad policy

No business bias – are you joking?

EU-India Trade Invaders - How big business is driving the EU-India free trade negotiations

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