CETA: TTIP’s ugly brother

Type: Campaign briefings
Date: 15 August 2016
Campaigns: Trade

This is a guide to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada.

Millions have signed a petition calling on the EU to stop negotiations on TTIP (the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) and CETA. While there is growing public awareness about the timetable and content of the TTIP negotiations, CETA is on the verge of being ratified.

But it’s not receiving the scrutiny or attention it deserves.

CETA includes the most controversial part of TTIP, Investor Protection, which gives corporations new powers to sue governments through a special corporate court. As a result of many US firms having Canadian subsidiaries, CETA will also enable US corporations to operate in the EU market.

Attempts to rebrand and slightly adjust investor protection (formerly Investor State Dispute Settlement and now the Investor Court System) have failed to convince us or many others that anything has been improved.

Public services are particularly vulnerable because CETA locks in current levels of liberalisation making it difficult for future governments to stop Canadian companies from delivering public services in the EU.

Until CETA is raitifed in 2017, there is a chance we can stop the deal.