Trade
Filter by...
-
Data protection safeguards needed in EU-Vietnam trade agreements
On 12 February 2020, the European Parliament gave consent for the ratification of the EU-Vietnam trade and investment agreements. The trade agreement contains two cross-border data flow commitments. The related data protection safeguards in this agreement are similar to the ones in the EU-Japan agreement, which entered into force in February 2019. Civil society organisations […]
Read more
-
The European Commission rightly decides to defend citizens’ privacy in trade discussions
On 31 January 2018, the European Commission adopted horizontal clauses on data flows, data protection and privacy in trade deals. On 9 February, these provisions were leaked.
Read more
-
EU-Japan trade agreement not compatible with EU data protection
The EU and Japan have announced the conclusion of the final discussions on a trade agreement, the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Regarding cross-border data flows and data protection, the European Commission’s press release states that recent reforms of their respective privacy legislation offer new opportunities to facilitate data exchanges, including through a simultaneous finding […]
Read more
-
TiSA impact assessment report ignores crucial human rights concerns
In 2013, the European Commission decided to subject the draft Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) to a Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) in support of the negotiations. The Final Report, which was published in July 2017, fails to address several key fundamental rights concerns.
Read more
-
Multilateral Investment Court System does not deliver equal justice
On 15 March 2017, the public consultation on “options for a multilateral reform of investment dispute resolution” launched by the European Commission (EC) was concluded. EDRi responded to the consultation, in line with the response to the previous Investment-to-State-Dispute-Settlement (ISDS) consultation and our work on trade and fundamental rights. Our view is that the Multilateral Investment Court […]
Read more
-
Consultation on multilateral investment court misses the point
The European Commission has launched a consultation on establishing a multilateral investment court, which would serve as a permanent body to decide investment disputes. The court would replace controversial investor-to-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms in existing and future trade and investment treaties. It would interpret the substantive rules in these treaties, which provide a high […]
Read more
-
Despite large opposition, CETA limps forward in the European Parliament
On 24 January 2017, the European Parliament Committee on International Trade (INTA) voted in favour of the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA), despite the concerns about fundamental rights and the right to regulate. We regret that the international trade committee appears to be motivated by short-term political objectives, rather than what is actually written in […]
Read more
-
European and Canadian civil society groups call for rejection of CETA
Today, on 28 November 2016, European Digital Rights (EDRi) co-signed a statement together with over 450 civil society organisations. In the statement, civil society from both Europe and Canada express concerns about the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and therefore call for its rejection. CETA should be renegotiated, but for that to happen, there […]
Read more
-
New leaks confirm TiSA proposals that would undermine civil liberties
Today, on 25 November 2016, German blog Netzpolitik.org in association with Greenpeace published new leaked documents concerning the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), a “trade” agreement that is currently being negotiated between 23 members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), including the European Union.
Read more
-
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 […]
Read more
-
TiSA leaks set alarm bells ringing
Read this in German. Despite the rumours and assertions by several Member States that Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is dead, the fight for safeguarding citizens’ rights and freedoms via so-called “trade agreements” is far from over. Now it is time to address the threat from the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). Just days […]
Read more
-
52 NGOs ask the Council to protect journalists and whistleblowers
On 13 May 2016, EDRi and 51 other civil society organisations sent an open letter (pdf) to the Heads of State and Government of the European Union to amend the draft Trade Secrets Directive, to protect our rights and freedoms, including those of journalists and whistleblowers. This call for change is of utmost importance. For […]
Read more