Irish Government to push through CETA trade deal
Comhlámh is concerned that the government is moving to ratify the EU Canada Trade Deal known as CETA.
The Comhlámh Trade Justice Group has highlighted the devastatingly negative impact that Investor State Dispute Settlement provisions will have on the formation of public policy. ISDS is a mechanism that has its origins from the end of the colonial era. It allows corporations to sue nation states for changes in environmental or social legislation on the basis that these legislative changes will impact future profits of the corporations. They should have no place in trade agreements.
Agreements like CETA are part of a new generation of free trade agreements, which go far beyond reducing tariffs. CETA has the potential to affect areas of policy such as health, employment, food, water, education, transport, environment, sovereignty and democracy. In short, it touches
almost every aspect of our society
What can I do?
Read more on this in the attached report prepared by the Comhlámh Trade Justice Group.
Its a handy guide to engaging your public representatives on the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement
(CETA) between Canada and the European Union
ASK YOUR TDs / REPRESENTATIVES:
• Why has the Irish government not protected its public services (like other
governments) through the negative list? (See page 3 for more on negative list)
• How can the ICS mechanism be justified given that it supersedes our own
domestic courts? Especially given that the government and citizens cannot use it to sue corporations, and that domestic companies do not have the same investor rights?
• Given all of the controversy and public outcry regarding the privatisation of water, why would you ratify a deal that could allow many of our public services to be privatised?