Ttipandslovenia monique goyens

TTIP : why consumers are worried Monique GOYENS Director general @moniquegoyens ZPS 25th anniversary conference Ljubljana, 16 June 2015

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BEUC in a nutshell •

European Consumer Organisation

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Umbrella organisation for 40 strong national consumer organisations, from 31 European countries

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Mission to promote consumer interests in EU decision making

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Strategic priorities • Safe and healthy food • Fair and transparent contracts • Transparent, efficient, affordable and safe financial services • Secure digital environment • Ability to act sustainably • Access to high quality health care • Safe consumer products • Affordable energy

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Consumers and Trade •

Where well designed, trade can be good for consumer because it boosts competitive markets • Lower prices • Enhanced choice • Innovation

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A trade agreement alone is not sufficient to boost competition • Need for strong competition policy

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Modern trade agreements are more than just getting rid of tariffs and providing access to markets, however without democratic safeguards to ensure accountability of negotiators.

Will TTIP be good for consumers ?

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Consumers and TTIP

•Our cross-cutting concerns re TTIP – in a nutshell : • Predominance of regulatory cooperation chapter in TTIP in order to eliminate non-tariff barriers to trade, i.e. red tape, but also differences in rules and standards •

Lack of transparency and willingness to be accountable to citizens on envisaged changes : EU Commission has moved as a reaction to public pressure, but US sticks to secrecy • what is secret is suspect !

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Introduction of wide-scale private arbitration system to solve disputes between states and investors : a red line for civil society

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Will TTIP lower standards ?

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Officials very vocally say NO lowering of consumer standards,

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But how can they keep that promise ?

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Regulatory cooperation chapter sets procedures and structures exposing legislators to huge pressure from corporate interests

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ISDS is a discriminatory practice that allows companies to threaten governments that wish to take action for the public interest.

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Way forward

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Public access to US/EU consolidated versions of negotiations texts as they are agreed upon in the different rounds

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Clear institutional safeguards in the context of regulatory cooperation, that protect the right to regulate in the public interest and provide for balanced and genuine stakeholder engagement

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Exclusion of ISDS from TTIP : • US/EU don’t need this system, as experience has shown • It is discriminatory in favour of foreign investors • Legitimate alternatives are available.

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www.beuc.eu – food@beuc.eu

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