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  1. Negotiations

:: Across the board ::


This section contains news and analysis of sweeping developments that affect the overall push and pull towards FTAs and bilateral investment treaties. This means major trends relating to bilateralism, often with global consequences, and other cross-cutting issues. New developments arising from US politics, the WTO or South-South alliance-building, for instance, are often reported here as they tend to have systemic impacts.

last update: May 2012

The gathering financial storm is just one effect of corporate power unbound
5-Nov-2015     The Guardian
What have governments learned from the financial crisis? I could write a column spelling it out. Or I could do the same job with one word: nothing.
Trans Pacific Partnership IP chapter – trademarks, thoughts on geographical indications
16-Oct-2015     IP Watchdog
This article offers accompanying commentary together on the TPP’s trademark provisions together with thoughts on portions of the TPP text regarding Geographical Indications (GIs)
Fallout from EU-US Safe Harbour ruling will be dramatic and far-reaching
16-Oct-2015     Ars Technica
Clever ruling by the Court of Justice will be almost impossible to circumvent. The "Safe Harbour" ruling is likely to affect trade agreements like TISA and TTIP in important ways.
No to FTAs!
8-Oct-2015     Ibon
TPP, like other Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), is fashioned by industrial countries and their transnational corporations to further intensify the concentration of resources, wealth, and power into their hands leaving developing countries.
The US strategy to create a new global legal and economic system: TPP, TTIP, TISA
8-Oct-2015     TheWikiLeaksChannel
Wikileaks - The US strategy to create a new global legal and economic system
Libre-échange : des effets difficiles à mesurer sur l’emploi
7-Oct-2015     Le Monde
Les conséquences des accords multilatéraux sur le commerce mondial et l’économie sont loin de faire consensus.
Regional free trade deals may create 'legal mess' within WTO framework
2-Oct-2015     Sputnik
New regional mega-agreements on free trade between the United States, Europe, Pacific Rim nations and some World Trade Organization (WTO) members will create numerous legal problems within the WTO framework.
Health and trade: What hope for SDG 3
1-Oct-2015     Health and Trade Network
Emma Woodford from the Health and Trade Network examines SDG3 on health and well-being and questions if its targets are achievable given the damaging nature of legally binding trade agreements being simultaneously negotiated by SDG signatories.
TISA and TPP: trade unions and social movements resist unfair trade deals
29-Sep-2015     Karibu Foundation: Voices from the South
Governments around the globe are currently engaged in the biggest burst of trade and investment treaty negotiations since the 1990s. This new wave of trade deals is primarily being negotiated by governments and corporations in complete secrecy.
Trade agreements: EU grows bilateral and regional FTAs
3-Sep-2015     Just Style
Free trade agreements (FTAs) between the European Union (EU) and its trading partners worldwide have mushroomed in recent years and more are in the pipeline.