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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

How can BRICS survive amidst TTIP?
5-Jan-2015     Financial Express
BRICS can either pursue a BRICS FTA to balance the TTIP or they can maintain the status quo, argues Geethanjali Nataraj.
CETA draft: Important positions taken by the French National Assembly also relevant for TTIP/TAFTA and the EPAs
18-Dec-2014     Mediapart
On the 23 November 2014, the French National Assembly adopted a resolution whose importance cannot escape the attention of citizens who are opposed to the EU-Canada, EU-US and similar trade agreements.
Conference: For a citizen's trade agenda: STOP TTIP, CETA, TISA
2-Dec-2014    
9 December in the European Parliament in Brussels, organised by GUE/NL
US unions to fight back against right-wing attacks and trade deals
17-Nov-2014     Left Foot Forward
Following the US mid term elections, unions are mobilising opposition against trade agreements, including a major campaign against ‘Fast Track’ legislation, TPP and TTIP.
After its victory, Team Bush resumes its crusade for free trade
7-Nov-2014     AFP
Reassured by the renewed confidence of the American voters, President George W. Bush is going to pursue, even accelerate his free trade strategy in next four years by giving special support to bilateral agreements.
More than 700,000 tell Congress: Fast Track is the wrong path
6-Nov-2014     Huffington Post
Today, representatives from environmental, labor, food and farm, consumer rights and other fair trade allies delivered to US Congress more than 700,000 petitions opposing "fast track"--a piece of legislation that would push harmful trade agreements like the contentious Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) through Congress without any meaningful oversight or assurances that the trade pacts would actually benefit workers, families, and the environment.
US sugar policy: Sweet for a few, sour for most
3-Nov-2014     WSJ
New restrictions on Mexican sugar imports undermine the government’s negotiating position in free trade talks.
Legacy: De Gucht negotiated two rigged ISDS chapters
3-Nov-2014     Vrijschrift
On 15 September Vrijschrift informed the European Parliament international trade committee that investor-to-state arbitration (ISDS) in the draft trade agreement with Canada is rigged to the advantage of the US. Today Vrijschrift informed the committee the same is true for the draft trade agreement with Singapore.
BRICS: la création d’une zone de libre-échange peu probable (expert)
30-Oct-2014     RIA Novosti
La mise en place d’une zone de libre-échange au sein du BRICS étant peu probable, les pays membres doivent plutôt renforcer leurs échanges bilatéraux, annonce le gouvernement brésilien
European action day: citizens in 22 countries demand "Stop TTIP, CETA and TiSA"
11-Oct-2014     11 October Stop-TTIP-CETA-TiSA Alliance
On a European day of action against the free trade agreements TTIP, CETA and TiSA, thousands of citizens took to the streets with more than 1100 public activities in 22 European countries.