Alfred Sant sceptical on the EC’S ‘Compromise Stand’ on trade agreement between the EU and US

Alfred Sant, Head of the Labour Delegation at the European Parliament said that he is sceptical of the European Commission’s ‘compromise’ stand on the setting up of special arbitration tribunals considered to be ‘private’ extra judicial systems that would have the power to make states change legislation in order to satisfy multinational company claims. Addressing a forum organised by the ‘Malta Business Bureau’ in Valletta on the trade agreement which is being negotiated between the European Union and the United States, Dr. Sant said there is a resolute stand on the European side against such a proposal. The European Commission has just made a compromise proposal on this issue for tribunals that deal with state-investor disputes to take the form of a special court made up partly of EU judges, of US judges and of independent arbitrators. ‘I am one of those who are sceptical about this “compromise”, said Dr Sant.

Dr. Sant said that the fear that the power of multinational corporations operating as oligopolies in world markets would be boosted by the ‘Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership’ (TTIP) agreement has fuelled objections to US proposals for the TTIP to cover special arrangements by which to resolve disputes between states and investors.

Dr. Sant said that as is usual with proposals to liberalise trade and investment, the benefits are being overestimated to make a deal more attractive. It would certainly enhance the neo-liberal rules that underpin globalisation, giving dominance in major markets more and more to oligopolies. From this perspective, the claim that the agreement would more likely benefit multinational corporations is well taken. This led to a public relations effort in recent months to enhance the claim that small and medium industries will benefit hugely from any transatlantic deal.

Dr. Sant said that TTIP is in theory a grand project. It is meeting with a lot of objections since it challenges US and EU ways of doing things. No matter which solutions and compromises are found, they will affect negatively significant lobbies and interests on both sides of the pond. So it is not surprising that objections are welling up. Some cover the point that European and US public interest groups fear that best practice procedures to defend the public or the environment will be eroded by commitments made under an eventual treaty, such as for food preparation, drug testing and oil and gas exploration. Other fears relate to loss of privileged access to markets such as public procurement in the US and farm subsidies in Europe.

The forum was also addressed by MEPs Miriam Dalli and Roberta Metsola.

Maltese Version – ‘NINSAB XETTIKU DWAR IL-‘PROPOSTA TA’ KOMPROMESS’ TAL-UE GĦALL-FTEHIM KUMMERĊJALI BEJN L-UE U L-ISTATI UNITI’

Il-Kap tad-Delegazzjoni Laburista fil-Parlament Ewropew qal li huwa xettiku mill-‘kompromessi’ li l-Kummissjoni Ewropea qed tagħmel dwar it-twaqqif ta’ tribunali speċjali li jkollhom il-poter jibdlu liġijiet tal-istati Ewropej biex jiġu aċċettati talbiet tal-kumpanniji multinazzjonali fuq il-ftehim ta’ kummerċ li qed jiġi nnegozjat bejn l-Unjoni Ewropea u l-Istati Uniti. Dr. Alfred Sant, li indirizza forum tal-‘Malta Business Bureau’ fil-Belt Valletta dwar il-ftehim kummerċjali bejn l-UE u l-Istati Uniti, tkellem dwar proposta ta’ kompromess li qed tagħmel il-Kummissjoni Ewropea li jkun hemm qorti speċjali magħmula minn Imħallfin mill-UE u mill-Istati Uniti u arbitri indipendenti biex tiddeċiedi dwar it-talbiet tal-Kumpanniji multinazzjonali. ‘Jien wieħed minn dawk li huma ‘xettiċi’ dwar din il-proposta ta’ kompromess’, qal Dr. Sant.

Dr. Sant qal li l-biżgħa li se tkompli tiżdied is-saħħa tal-korporazzjonijiet multinazzjonali fis-swieq internazzjonali bil-ftehim kummerċjali bejn l-UE u l-Istati Uniti qed iżżid l-oġġezzjonijiet għall-mod kif l-Istati Uniti qed tipproponi li ssolvi kwistjonijiet li jinqalgħu bejn l-istati membri u l-investituri.

‘Bħalma jsir is-soltu fuq proposti biex ikun liberalizzat il-kummerċ u l-investiment, qed issir enfasi fuq il-benefiċċji tal-proposti. Waqt li qed issir il-kritika li l-aqwa li se jmorru tajjeb bil-ftehim tal-UE mal-Istati Uniti huma l-kumpanniji multinazzjonali, minn naħa l-oħra fl-aħħar xhur bdiet kampanja ta’ relazzjonijiet pubbliċi bl-enfasi li l-industriji żgħar u medji se jgawdu mill-ftehim bejn l-UE u l-Istati Uniti.

Dr. Sant qal li l-ftehim tal-kummerċ bejn l-UE u l-Istati Uniti se jkun qed iressaq proposti ġodda fil-mod kif iż-żewġ naħat isegwu l-operat tagħhom. ‘M’għandniex inkunu sorpriżi li qed jitressqu ċerti oġġezzjonijiet. Gruppi fl-Ewropa u fl-Istati Uniti qed jibżgħu li se jkunu eliminati proċeduri eżistenti biex fuq tħejjija ta’ ikel, testijiet fuq mediċini u l-esplorazzjoni tal-gass u anke li jintilfu aċċess privileġġjat għal akkwisti pubbliċi fl-Istati Uniti u s-sussudji agrikoli fl-Ewropa.’ Qal Dr. Sant.

Il-laqgħa kienet indirizzata wkoll mill-MEPs Miriam Dalli u Roberta Metsola.