News

Latest news

“No TTIP” Christmas card submitted by singing Santas on behalf of one million

Trade justice

At 5.30pm yesterday (Tuesday 9 December) a cluster of campaigners dressed as Santa Claus presented an over-sized Christmas card to the Department for Business, Industry and Skills (BIS) on behalf of the million people across Europe who had signed a petition calling for the end of controversial trade deals being pushed through between the EU and North America.

UK urges GCM Resources to assess human rights impact of Bangladesh coal mine

Climate and energy

The UK government has urged British company GCM Resources to assess how its planned coal mine in Bangladesh would affect the human rights of local people, and has condemned the company for breaching international guidelines on ethical corporate behaviour.

BHP Billiton to face grilling from coal-impacted communities at AGM

Climate and energy

Representatives from Colombia and Indonesia have arrived in London to tell the BHP Billiton board that coal-mining is detroying communities.

Thousands urge European Commission to ditch biodiversity offsetting

General

As the European Commission concludes its consultation on biodiversity offsetting, almost 10,000 people and nearly 60 organisations (including us) have signed a letter urging the Commission not to pursue policy related to biodiversity offsetting (BO). They fear it would “harm nature and people, and give power to those who destroy nature for private profit.”

Is the incoming European president planning on removing ISDS from the EU-USA trade deal?

Trade justice

Dutch journalist Caroline de Gruyter, writing for NRC Handelsblad reported that incoming European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker is said to have decided to remove the controversial investor-to-state dispute settlement (ISDS) from TTIP, citing that it is “too late” to win on the issue, and to send a clear signal to EU citizens that he has “heard them."

Europe-wide protests against TTIP trade deal on 11 October

Trade justice

Protests are planned across the UK and the rest of Europe against the TTIP trade deal between the EU and the US on Saturday 11 October, as part of a day of simultaneous protests in hundreds of towns and cities.

EU and Canada to push through ‘anti-democratic’ trade deal

Trade justice

The EU and Canada are set to agree a trade deal tomorrow (26 September) branded by campaigners as ‘a disaster for democracy’. The deal will give foreign companies new powers over government decisions, and has been negotiated in secret, bypassing the British, Canadian and European parliaments.

UK-backed scheme for African agriculture slammed by NGOs

Food

Ninety NGOs and campaign groups have condemned the G7’s New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, as representatives of governments and multinational companies, including UK development secretary Justine Greening, meet in New York today to discuss the controversial scheme.

Open statement: Call of G7 Civil Society Organizations to their Governments on the New Alliance

Food

Call of G7/G8 Civil Society Organizations to their Governments on the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition in Africa

European Commission rejects a citizens’ petition against the EU-US trade deal

Trade justice

The European Commission has today rejected a proposal from an alliance of European campaigners to hold a ‘European Citizens' Initiative’ against the EU-US and EU-Canada trade deals, known as TTIP and CETA. This decision prevents citizens from forcing the Commission to review its policy on the deals and to hold a hearing in the European parliament.

Campaigners accuse EU of ‘stifling citizens’ voices on secret deal’ 

EU-Canada trade deal ‘a threat to democracy’

Trade justice

The World Development Movement and War on Want have branded a trade deal being negotiated between Canada and the EU as ‘a threat to democracy’. They have joined trade unions and other campaigners to call on business secretary Vince Cable to remove a controversial clause from the deal which will give Canadian companies new powers to sue the British government.

Campaigners urge British government to amend ‘secret agreement’ that would allow Canadian companies new powers over government decisions

Cameron’s trade deal would ‘open floodgates’ to Philip Morris style cases

Trade justice

As Philip Morris threatens to sue the UK for £11 billion over plans to introduce plain packaging on cigarettes, the World Development Movement has warned that the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) would make such cases more common and less open to public scrutiny.

Campaigners warned today that Britain would open the floodgates to a string of legal challenges by big business if it ratified the upcoming EU-US trade deal.

Pages