Trade

On the very same day the French government asked the EU to withdraw from the TTIP negotiations, two PSI partners in the struggle against TiSA, Attac Norway and Global Justice Now, launched the campaign briefing “A blueprint for global privatisation – Why we need to stop the Trade in Services Agreement".

The EU’s tax ruling on Apple announced on 30 August shows that finally the European Commission (EC) is acknowledging that austerity is a political, not economic, choice. That's the main message behind the striking decision, according to PSI General Secretary who congratulated the EC for showing the political will to chase large multinationals like Amazon and McDonald's (also currently under investigation).

PSI General Secretary, Rosa Pavanelli, welcomed the decision of the French government to ask the EU to withdraw from the TTIP negotiations. The French position follows a recent statement by the German Vice-Chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, affirming that “TTIP has failed – but no one is admitting it”.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is being negotiated in secret by 16 countries and a leaked copy of its investment chapter includes proposals to allow foreign investors to sue governments at an international tribunal.

More than 80 participants representing trade unions, farming communities, indigenous peoples, health networks, women’s organisations, academia and civil society organizations met on 27-28 July in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to take stock of the new generation of mega regional FTAs emerging in the region.

At UNCTAD14 in Nairobi, Kenya, PSI submitted our position paper and saw our key concerns included in the Civil Society declaration to the conference.

A study released today on Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) raises significant concerns over the controversial funding mechanism and serves as a clear warning to leaders meeting at UNCTAD14 this week. The research paper, titled PPPs and the SDGs; don’t believe the hype, found that PPPs often contribute to decreased transparency and accountability, increased incentives for corruption and do not attract significant new capital.