Reply to the European Commission’s Public Consultation on Investment Protection and Investor-to-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement (TTIP)
On March 27, 2014 the European Commission launched public consultations on the investment chapter of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a trade and investment agreement under negotiation between the European Union (EU) and the United States.
The first negotiation round took place in July 2013, and the European Commission is targeting mid-2015 as the date for the conclusion of the TTIP. In response to the increased public interest in the TTIP and criticism surrounding the secrecy of the negotiations as well as the content of the investment chapter, particularly the envisaged inclusion of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), the EU decided to conduct a 90-day public consultation process on 12 main questions related to investment protection standards and ISDS. Comments can be submitted via an online questionnaire until July 6, 2014. In this context, the European Commission also held a stakeholder meeting with business and non-business participants in May 2014.
The attached report by IISD replies to the European Commission’s questions and statements related to the TTIP public consultation. The report seeks to inform the general public as well as European institutions about the legal implications of the proposed investment chapter text.
You might also be interested in
Unpacking National Investment Laws
This report explores how national investment laws regulate dispute settlement and suggests how to reform them to align with sustainable development and 21st-century policy objectives.
Rethinking the Global Response to Deforestation
As the EUDR enters a new phase, global efforts to address deforestation are shifting from compliance to broader cooperation on forests, climate, and trade ahead of COP 31.
Decoding the Belt and Road Initiative’s Legal Architecture
This article unpacks the Belt and Road Initiative's legal architecture—covering hard law (such as treaties and contracts), soft law (such as memoranda of understanding), and the unique role of China's state-owned enterprises—and sets out recommendations for host country policy-makers on how to navigate this hybrid legal environment.
Voluntary Sustainability Standards and Export Promotion
How integrating voluntary sustainability standards into export measures can help producers adopt better practices and access key markets.