EU Free Trade Agreements: TTIP – with the USACETA – with Canada

Start of negotiations: July 2013 in the US

Since then several meeting in the US and the EU

Building up of resistance in the US and the EU

TTIP

No democratic legitimacy

Lack of transparency – too much „top secret“

Aligning of product and security standards – Deterioration of quality

Threat to external protection

Investor-State Dispute Settlement - ISDS

TTIP – Problematic issues

TTIP-negotiations should be stopped.

Absolute transparency and democratic participation in negotiation processes of EU in general.

„NO“ to lower product and safety standards.

Import duties for dairy products need to remain an EU instrument.

An ISDS in general must not result in allowing industry to put pressure on governments

TTIP – Position of DDB/EMB

Commission: official stakeholders meeting, more consultations -> rather a cover up – detailed information about the content of TTIP

is still not given

EU-Parliament: Report on impact of TTIP on agricultural sector

Key points of the report:

Even though trade will increase, only small change in agricultural added value: - 0,5% in the EU (highest loss in Baltic states – 1,3 %)

+ 0,4% in USA

Problem beef sector: low-cost sector in the US US-exports to the EU damaging for EU production and suckler cow

breeding

Milk sector: Increase of EU exports to US, since US might reduce tariffs and other barriers te -> Opinion of DDB / EMB : Seven if exports in milk sector increase, the second pillar of many farms – meat production and suckler cow breeding – would be damaged -> problem for many farms

TTIP - Reaction of EU regarding resistance

Start of negotiations: June 2009

Since then several meetings, also interruptions and resumption of negotiations

25 September 2014: Agreement officially announced in Ottawa

Now: CETA has to be ratified by European Parliament and Council – discussion whether ratification of EU member States is also necessary

CETA – EU with Canada

Agriculture:

CETA will not open up export markets for genetically modified crops,

-> but regulatory co-operation provisions can weaken EU food safety standards

CETA gives intellectual property rights holders ability to sue farmers suspected of selling or storing farm-saved seed

No hormone meat from Canada. Canadian farmers are building up a hormone free product line

CETA – Content

Agriculture:

For Canada: No import duties for exports to EU milk market (free access)

For Canadian meat exports to EU – import quota: 50 000 tons (hormone free) beef and 75 000 tons pork meat

EU can export 16.000 tons of raw milk cheese and 1700 tons of industrial cheese to Canada without duties

CETA – Content

ISDS

Article to protect investors: companies can sue states at arbitration tribunals

Politicians (of EU-Parliament and national parliaments) and many NGO‘s want to abolish ISDS article

Trade Commissioner seems to hold on to article

CETA – Content

Resistance regarding CETA has increased (also because of TTIP discussions)

For example Citizens‘ Initiative against TTIP also mentioned CETA

The media talk more and more about CETA

Politicians are still discussing ISDS and the question whether Member States should ratify CETA (and therefore would be able to refuse CETA)

CETA – Resistance

Thank you for your attention!