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TTIP: The arbitration game

19 October 2014

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"a process known as “investor-state dispute settlement”, or ISDS. ISDS first appeared in a bilateral trade agreement between Germany and Pakistan in 1959. The intention was to encourage foreign investment by protecting investors from discrimination or expropriation. But the implementation of this laudable idea has been disastrous. It has become so controversial that it threatens to scupper trade deals the European Union is negotiating with both America and Canada. Multinationals have exploited woolly definitions of expropriation to claim compensation for changes in government policy that happen to have harmed their business."

See the full text: The arbitration game (The Economist, link)

And: Leaked TPP Chapter Exposes Sweet Deals for Big Pharma and US Bully Tactics: U.S. pushing rules that 'favor big corporate right holders, and undermine the public’s freedom to use knowledge,' intellectual property expert says (Common Dreams, link): "[T]he TPP would impose new obligations for spying on Internet users under the guise of enforcing copyright. This should raise concerns not only among countries that currently lack such regulations, but also among U.S. citizens, because the TPP would expand the online spy network at home."

See also: The TPP Would Enroll More Online Spies (Public Citizen, link)

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