TTIP consultation: no ISDS
Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström presented the results of the online consultation of the inclusion of an Investor-to-State Dispute Settlement mechanism in TTIP in Strasbourg yesterday.
During the consultation process, the Commission received 150.000 submission, of which the vast majority opposes including ISDS in TTIP. 145.000 of the submissions were submitted via NGOs which oppose ISDS. The other submissions came from 3000 individual citizens and 450 organisations representing various interest groups.
Commissioner Malmström stated the consultation gave a very clear signal about public scepticism on the talks. However, she also added it was not a referendum, and that old ISDS agreements will have to be replaced by more advanced provisions. The Commission will further discuss ISDS with Member States and the Parliament, and decide only in the final phase of negotiations if ISDS will be included in TTIP. The European Parliamentary Committee on International Trade, however, has already signalled its opposition to an ISDS provision.
Read more:
Commission Press release with links to relevant documents
EUobserver: ‘Huge scepticism’ on US talks, EU trade chief admits