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BackAs already reported in our Newsletter on several occasions, the European Commission has launched a public consultation on ISDS. However, the questionnaire is so complicated that one has to ask oneself the question whether the Commission is really interested in a broad participation of the civil population. Help is now at hand with an online tool developed by AK EUROPE, the European Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation ÖGB and Friends of the Earth Europe, which enables participation with a few simple mouse clicks. Let’s get together and join forces!
Take part and say: “NO TO ISDS“
AK EUROPE, the European Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation and Friends of the Earth Europe (Europe’s largest grassroots environmental network) offer support to all those, who are against an investor-state dispute settlement and secret, intransparent negotiations behind closed doors.
Send the European Commission a clear message that you reject privileges for foreign investors!
With immediate effect, all those who want to say “No to ISDS” have the opportunity under www.no2isds.eu to do just this with a few simple mouse clicks. Anybody who is interested cannot only read the pre-formulated answers prepared by AK, ÖGB und Friends of the Earth, but also has the opportunity of receiving background information on this subject. The website is available in German, English and French.
Hence, the online tool also enables “average citizens” to participate in the consultation on one of the most controversial chapters of the planned Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership TTIP between the EU and the USA. The idea behind “ISDS” is that private investors shall be able to sue states if their democratically elected governments do exactly what they are supposed to do in the first place, i.e. issue rules in the sectors of labour and employment law, consumer protection or environmental protection. If investors feel that these provisions curtail their profit interests, they shall be given the option of suing against these provisions. And by no means before public courts but before private arbitral courts, whose sessions are held in secret. An unacceptable situation in developed democracies, against which citizens, trade unions and organisations of the civil society have been strongly protesting for months. And the European Commission? It has tried for a long time to simply ride out the problem. Only when public pressure became too big, it asked the public for its opinion within the scope of the current consultation. But many see this consultation as a sheer farce. The questions are highly technical and hard to understand even for experts; participation is only possible based on an electronic and little user friendly questionnaire and the all-important question whether the citizens are in favour or against ISDS has not even been asked. This renders any participation by the public meaningless, turning the whole thing into a democratic and political sham.
ISDS: NOT HERE, NOT NOW AND NOT WITH US!
Hence, it is of utmost importance that we send a clear and unambiguous message to the European Commission. We therefore call upon you: Therefore, take part in the consultation and help us to fight against unjustified privileges for private investors at the expense of the population and society and against intransparent negotiations!
All you have to do is to go to www.no2isds.eu and to click on “TAKING PART”!
More information:
www.no2isd.eu
ISDS consultation contribution by AK and ÖGB
AK EUROPE, the European Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation and Friends of the Earth Europe (Europe’s largest grassroots environmental network) offer support to all those, who are against an investor-state dispute settlement and secret, intransparent negotiations behind closed doors.
Send the European Commission a clear message that you reject privileges for foreign investors!
With immediate effect, all those who want to say “No to ISDS” have the opportunity under www.no2isds.eu to do just this with a few simple mouse clicks. Anybody who is interested cannot only read the pre-formulated answers prepared by AK, ÖGB und Friends of the Earth, but also has the opportunity of receiving background information on this subject. The website is available in German, English and French.
Hence, the online tool also enables “average citizens” to participate in the consultation on one of the most controversial chapters of the planned Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership TTIP between the EU and the USA. The idea behind “ISDS” is that private investors shall be able to sue states if their democratically elected governments do exactly what they are supposed to do in the first place, i.e. issue rules in the sectors of labour and employment law, consumer protection or environmental protection. If investors feel that these provisions curtail their profit interests, they shall be given the option of suing against these provisions. And by no means before public courts but before private arbitral courts, whose sessions are held in secret. An unacceptable situation in developed democracies, against which citizens, trade unions and organisations of the civil society have been strongly protesting for months. And the European Commission? It has tried for a long time to simply ride out the problem. Only when public pressure became too big, it asked the public for its opinion within the scope of the current consultation. But many see this consultation as a sheer farce. The questions are highly technical and hard to understand even for experts; participation is only possible based on an electronic and little user friendly questionnaire and the all-important question whether the citizens are in favour or against ISDS has not even been asked. This renders any participation by the public meaningless, turning the whole thing into a democratic and political sham.
ISDS: NOT HERE, NOT NOW AND NOT WITH US!
Hence, it is of utmost importance that we send a clear and unambiguous message to the European Commission. We therefore call upon you: Therefore, take part in the consultation and help us to fight against unjustified privileges for private investors at the expense of the population and society and against intransparent negotiations!
All you have to do is to go to www.no2isds.eu and to click on “TAKING PART”!
More information:
www.no2isd.eu
ISDS consultation contribution by AK and ÖGB