April 9, 2014 · Blogs

Commission opens investor-to-state dispute settlement consultation

The EU Commission has published a public consultation on modalities for investment protection and on investor-to-state dispute settlement (ISDS) in the EU – US trade negotiations (TTIP / TAFTA). ISDS is the most controversial aspect of these negotiations. The ISDS mechanism gives multinationals the right to sue states before special tribunals if changes in law […]

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June 13, 2016 · Blogs

BEUC and EDRi urge the EU Commission not to undermine citizens’ privacy in trade agreements

On 10 June 2016, the European Consumers Association (BEUC) and European Digital Rights (EDRi) sent an open letter to the EU Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström, to express our concerns about the inclusion of a ban on (non-defined) “data localisation” in trade agreements. We urge the Commission to defend one of the biggest successes of […]

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September 7, 2016 · Blogs

What digital rights are at imminent risk? All of them.

Our civil rights in the digital environment are based on our rights to protect our personal security and data, our right to communicate freely, and our right for any restrictions to be necessary, predictable and proportionate. Every one of these rights is now under imminent threat.

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January 14, 2015 · Blogs

EDRi’s work in 2014

EDRi continued to go to strength in 2014, with a hugely significant victory on net neutrality in the European Parliament and an innovative and successful campaign to raise the profile of our issues in the elections in May. Our successes last year built on a strong development of the organisation in recent years. Since 2009, […]

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February 4, 2016 · Blogs

EDRi co-hosts the Privacy Camp, 26 January 2016

In the run up to CPDP conference in Brussels, civil society groups met at the fifth annual Privacy Camp to exchange views and develop new strategies. This year’s conference took place under the title “The Multiple Ways of (De/Self)-Regulation: What is at stake for Human Rights?” and included various panels and speakers from around the […]

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May 7, 2014 · Blogs

ISDS threatens privacy and reform of copyright and patent law

On 3 December 2013, the Dutch Parliament requested the government to investigate the potential social and environmental risks and the consequences of investor-to-state dispute settlement (ISDS) and the consequences of ISDS for the Netherlands as well as the financial risks for the Dutch government. On 17 April 2014 companies and civil society organisations met at […]

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July 2, 2014 · Blogs

Flawed Dutch government study on ISDS

On 25 July the Dutch government published a study “The Impact of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) in the TTIP“, requested by the Dutch Parliament. The study is flawed. A first reading reveals the following problems: It does not mention that it is nearly impossible to withdraw from trade agreements. Any mistake in the ISDS procedure […]

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October 8, 2014 · Blogs

Summary of the Commissioners-designate hearings

Between 29 September and 7 October the hearings of the Commissioners-designate in the European Parliament took place. This is a brief summary of the six hearings when the Commissioners-designate were answering to the MEPs’ questions regarding digital rights, privacy issues and trade agreements. Guenther Oettinger (Germany) is the nominee for the Digital Economy and Society […]

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January 27, 2016 · Blogs

TiSA: European Parliament ready to defend digital rights?

On 18 January 2016, the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee (INTA) adopted a non-legislative report, that will be subject to a vote by the whole Parliament on 3 February 2015. Similar to TTIP, harsh criticism has been expressed on the nature and content of the TiSA negotiations. While the INTA committee remained silent about certain […]

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August 5, 2015 · Blogs

Our internships at EDRi: We made digital rights matter

During the last couple of months, as EDRi’s interns, through advocacy, campaigning and reporting, we were given a unique opportunity to challenge threats to fundamental rights posed in the context of net neutrality, privacy, personal data and copyright. It was a fruitful and rewarding experience that allowed us to put our theoretical skills into practice […]

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October 12, 2016 · Blogs

Corporate-sponsored privacy confusion in the EU on trade and data protection

After the “Privacy shield” was adopted on 12 July 2016, the European Commission started internal discussions about whether or not to include “data flows” and “data localisation” clauses in Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and in the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). It appears that the European Commission Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG […]

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February 22, 2016 · Blogs

Press Release: Rights must not be abandoned in trade negotiations

Internet users are not being properly involved or even heard by trade negotiators. This has to change. European Digital Rights (EDRi) has joined forces with an international coalition of experts, scholars, groups representing Internet users, consumers and businesses to make this change happen. We are calling for reform of trade negotiations in order to protect […]

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