French government will not sign TTIP agreement in 2015
EurActiv.frby Cécile Barbière,
Anne-Claude Martin
translated by Samuel White
Matthias Fekl, France's Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, has
made it clear that France will not support the inclusion of the Investor
State Dispute Settlement mechanism (ISDS) in a potential TTIP
agreement. The ISDS is a point of heated debate between the EU and the
United States. EurActiv France reports.
Europe’s fears over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment
Partnership (TTIP) are not abating, while America is beginning to show
signs of impatience. Europe and the United States have reached a
standoff in the TTIP negotiations, over the question of the Investor
State Dispute Settlement.
This mechanism could give companies the opportunity to take legal
action against a state whose legislation has a negative impact on their
economic activity.
"France did not want the ISDS to be included in the negotiation
mandate," Matthias Fekl told the French Senate. "We have to preserve the
right of the state to set and apply its own standards, to maintain the
impartiality of the justice system and to allow the people of France,
and the world, to assert their values," he added.
German opposition to the ISDS mechanism is also very strong. The
German Minister for Economic Affairs has often expressed his support for
the trade deal with the United States, on the condition that it does
not include the ISDS.
The disagreement over the ISDS has caused negotiations to stall. "The
year 2014 did not see any great advances in the transatlantic
agreement," Fekl said during a speech to the French Senate.
In Brussels, the EU's position on the Investor State Dispute
Settlement mechanism became clear after the appointment of the new team
of EU Commissioners.
![[Dominik "Dome"/Flickr]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vzXI47eD7CvXn_voHuYduXfUwusewD_rWCQfXenkYUyLHURIQn_LTAFWUz716oomo7AmwP3eVMSvEFDaTP8MY3jZrnCFuTZocxfZ50QQVFsem2E2yI-sf4yPq4DsjLakMkIT2EMyuhTYZscGKy41hLZvYj64BJvuboO3L9HvC1Le0F-9rbCFAtERM7_DrFHMiyBQq7thdPaBRDjMyzyDqdGSuROZTcR2SZ0lAiAGR0O4kLeLOg4JDz=s0-d "The French government does not believe the TTIP negotiations will be concluded by the end of 2015. [Dominik \"Dome\"/Flickr]")
