The European Commission is to rethink its approach to a controversial US trade deal which campaign groups have warned would fundamentally erode Britain’s sovereignty.
Under the deal being negotiated by US and EU officials, multinational firms would be given wide-ranging powers to sue EU governments that adopt policies deemed to “discriminate” against free trade.
Groups including Greenpeace and the TUC have warned that the treaty’s provisions will have far-reaching consequences – limiting the UK’s freedom to tackle climate change, protect consumers or even guarantee a publicly run NHS.
In Australia, a similar trade deal with Hong Kong has resulted in the Government being sued by Philip Morris for introducing plain cigarette packaging.
In response to the concerns, the EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht has written to the trade ministers of all 28 member states announcing a public consultation on the so-called investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) part of the treaty. During the three-month consultation some parts of the treaty negotiations will be put on hold.
EU Trade Commis-sioner Karel De Gucht has launched a major public consultation
1 / 1
