Three years ago, Honduran activist and community leader Berta Cáceres was brutally murdered. Every year, around 200 environmental defenders are killed or assaulted around the world – crimes that are often linked to multinational companies violating human rights. Only a binding agreement on a global basis could put an end to this horrendous injustice. On …
EU-Singapore investment deal protects the rich and powerful
This Wednesday, 13th February, Members of the European Parliament will vote on a controversial investment deal between the EU and Singapore. This treaty is very similar to the investment chapters of CETA, the unpopular trade deal between the EU and Canada which outraged people all over Europe in 2015 and 2016. CETA made the news …
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Beyond the CAP – why we need a common food policy for Europe
By Stanka Becheva, food and farming campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe For years, peasant farmers and environmental groups have raised their voices to demand the EU’s farm, trade, environment, food policies better protect the European countryside, support rural communities and produce healthy food for all. As the EU institutions creak towards the end …
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Multilateral Investment Court: Changing the book cover doesn’t change the story
Last week, governments met at the United Nations in Vienna to discuss potential changes to the ISDS (Investor-State Dispute Settlement) system. This parallel justice system, benefitting multinationals and elite corporate lawyers, has been widely criticised around the world for its damaging impacts on the environment, on democracy and on public budgets. After a strong and …
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‘New’ CETA tribunals – old undemocratic system
On 21 September 2017, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada entered into force provisionally and was applied to 90%. The CETA controversy has led the European Commission to rebrand the undemocratic ISDS tribunals (Investor-State Dispute Settlement) as ICS (Investment Court System). However, the changes are minor and only procedural while the main points …
EU-Indonesia trade deal fails sustainability check
Friends of the Earth Europe’s new analysis of the EU-Indonesia CEPA trade deal gives it a score of 4.5/20 for sustainability While public discourse is focussing on tariff fights between US and China, the EU Commission continues to negotiate non-transparent and harmful trade deals. This week, the 5th round of negotiations between Indonesia and the …