Submissions to UNCTAD on International Investment Regime

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Submissions to UNCTAD on International Investment Regime

Controversial debates about Investor-state dispute settlement in TTIP and CETA

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As a contribution to the ongoing discussion on the reform of the international in-vestment regime, members of the Ecologic legal team submitted two briefs to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). UNCTAD is a UN organisation dealing with developing countries and their role in international trade and investment. Both briefs are available for download.

The first one, "Not a reason (and many risks) in sight: ISDS in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)", describes the potential impact of TTIP and its provisions on investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) on environmental regulation and discusses some of the main rationales behind ISDS and main contra arguments.

The second one, "CETA and TTIP sparking controversial debates on investment protection in Germany", was compiled by Christiane Gerstetter and Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf as a contribution to UNCTAD's "Report Back" initiative. It summarizes the recent debate in Germany on ISDS in the context of TTIP and the Comprehensive Trade and Economic Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada and discusses the main arguments and criticism voiced by a wide range of actors from ordinary citizens, NGOs, trade unions and a significant part of the press to parts of academics, business actors and the political establishment.

Contact: Christiane Gerstetter

Keywords
Transatlantic Trade- and Investment Partnership, TTIP, investor-state dispute settlement, ISDS, investment protection, Comprehensive Trade and Economic Agreement, CETA
EU, USA, Canada, Germany
ProjectRegulatory Cooperation under TTIP – a Risk for Democracy and National Regulation?
 
Fotolia © argus
Ecologic Institute with support from the Heinrich Boell Foundation compiled a study to provide factual background to the debate on regulatory cooperation under TTIP. The study contains an overview of existing models for achieving regulatory harmonisation, with a focus... Read more

Regulatory Cooperation under TTIP – a Risk for Democracy and National Regulation?

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ProjectENVI Relevant Legislative Areas of the EU-US TTIP Negotiations
 
fotolia©argus
Ecologic Institute, Bio IS and the Institute for European Environmental Policy were commissioned by the European Parliament's Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI Committee) to provide the members with the needed expertise to monitor the ongoing... Read more

ENVI Relevant Legislative Areas of the EU-US TTIP Negotiations

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PublicationArticleViel Schatten, wenig Licht
 
In this article, published in the journal Frankfurter Hefte, Christiane Gerstetter from Ecologic Instiute takes a stand on environmental aspects in the discussion on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) that is currently negotiated between the EU... Read more

Gerstetter, Christiane 2014: "Viel Schatten, wenig Licht - TTIP aus Umweltsicht.". Frankfurter Hefte, Vol. 2014, No. 10, 37-41.

PublicationReportENVI Relevant Legislative Areas of the EU-US Trade and Investment Partnership Negotiations (TTIP)
 
A recent study provides the members of the European Parliament Committee on Environment, Public Health, and Food Safety (ENVI Committee) with the needed expertise to monitor the ongoing negotiations between the United States and the European Commission for the... Read more

Mudgal, Shailendra et al. 2014: ENVI Relevant Legislative Areas of the EU-US Trade and Investment Partnership Negotiations (TTIP). BIO by Deloitte, Ecologic Institute, Institute for European Environmental Policy. ISBN: 978-92-823-6137-5 (paper), 978-92-823-6136-8 (pdf).

PublicationDocumentEcologic Staff Participates in EU Consultation on Investment Protection in TTIP
 
Christiane Gerstetter and Max Grünig, Senior Fellows at the Ecologic Institute, have prepared a submission for the EU Commission's online consultation on investment protection in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The submission is available for... Read more

Gerstetter, Christiane and Max Grünig 2014: Investment protection and investor-to-state dispute settlement (ISDS) in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement (TTIP) Contribution to the EU Commission’s "Online public consultation on investment protection and investor-to-state dispute settlement (ISDS) in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement (TTIP), Berlin.

PublicationReportRegulatory Cooperation under TTIP – a Risk for Democracy and National Regulation?
 
This study conducted by Ecologic Institute with support from the Heinrich Boell Foundation aims at providing factual background to the debate on regulatory cooperation within the TTIP. The study looks at whether fears are justified that regulatory cooperation could lead... Read more

Gerstetter, Christiane; Lena Donat; Katharina Klaas and Katherine Weingartner 2014: Regulatory Cooperation under TTIP – a Risk for Democracy and National Regulation?, Berlin.

EventWorkshopTTIP: Impacts on Agriculture and Food in the US, the EU and Beyond
 
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Ecologic Institute, US (EIUS) co-hosted a workshop with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on 9 January 2015 titled "TTIP: Impacts on Agriculture and Food in the US, the EU and Beyond". The workshop aimed at discussing the Transatlantic... Read more

Workshop:TTIP: Impacts on Agriculture and Food in the US, the EU and Beyond

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Washington DC, United States
EventA Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) that Can Make Atlantic Citizens Proud
 
Steve Charnovitz, Associate Professor of Law an der George Washington University Law School
At a Trade Night on 19 June 2014, Steve Charnovitz shared his views on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and discussed with the audience the vision needed to create a TTIP that reaches beyond a simple trade agreement for reduced tariffs between... Read more

A Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) that Can Make Atlantic Citizens Proud

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Berlin, Germany
PresentationPanel discussionPresentations at TTIP Stakeholder Forum
 
Christiane Gerstetter and Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf spoke on regulatory cooperation and investment protection in the stakeholder forum "TTIP re:negotiate" in Berlin on 17 November 2014. The event was co-organized by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the School of Advanced... Read more

Panel discussion:Presentations at TTIP Stakeholder Forum

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Berlin, Germany
PresentationPanel discussionRegulatory Cooperation in TTIP – Observations (also) from an Environmental Viewpoint
 
Christiane Gerstetter, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, participated on 8 October 2014 in a panel discussion with the title: "Gestatten, TTIP! Regulatorische Zusammenarbeit - Innovatives und notwendiges Instrument oder Gefahr für Schutzstandards und Demokratie?... Read more

Panel discussion:Regulatory Cooperation in TTIP – Observations (also) from an Environmental Viewpoint

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Berlin, Germany
PublicationDocumentComments on Investment Protection under CETA
 
Is the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) the beginning of a new era of investment protection under free trade agreements, one that addresses long standing concerns surrounding investment protection? The answer to these questions is, by and large, no.... Read more

Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf (2014): Comments Investment Protection under CETA: Good or bad; new or old?.