EU Free Trade Agreements: TTIP – with the USA CETA – with Canada

1. EU Free Trade Agreements: TTIP – with the USA CETA – with Canada

2. TTIP • Start of negotiations: July 2013 in the US • Since then several meeting in the US and the EU • Building up of resistance in the US and the EU

3. TTIP – Problematic issues • No democratic legitimacy • Lack of transparency – too much „top secret“ • Aligning of product and security standards – Deterioration of quality • Threat to external protection • Investor-State Dispute Settlement - ISDS

4. TTIP – Position of DDB/EMB • TTIP-negotiations should be stopped. • Absolute transparency and democratic participation in negotiation processes of EU in general. • „NO“ to lower product and safety standards. • Import duties for dairy products need to remain an EU instrument. • An ISDS in general must not result in allowing industry to put pressure on governments

5. TTIP - Reaction of EU regarding resistance • Commission: official stakeholders meeting, more consultations -> rather a cover up – detailed information about the content of TTIP is still not given • EU-Parliament: Report on impact of TTIP on agricultural sector • Key points of the report: • Even though trade will increase, only small change in agricultural added value: - 0,5% in the EU (highest loss in Baltic states – 1,3 %) + 0,4% in USA • Problem beef sector: low-cost sector in the US US-exports to the EU damaging for EU production and suckler cow breeding • Milk sector: Increase of EU exports to US, since US might reduce tariffs and other barriers te -> Opinion of DDB / EMB :Seven if exports in milk sector increase, the second pillar of many farms – meat production and suckler cow breeding – would be damaged -> problem for many farms

6. CETA – EU with Canada • Start of negotiations: June 2009 • Since then several meetings, also interruptions and resumption of negotiations • 25 September 2014: Agreement officially announced in Ottawa • Now: CETA has to be ratified by European Parliament and Council – discussion whether ratification of EU member States is also necessary

7. CETA – Content • Agriculture: • CETA will not open up export markets for genetically modified crops, • -> but regulatory co-operation provisions can weaken EU food safety standards • CETA gives intellectual property rights holders ability to sue farmers suspected of selling or storing farm-saved seed • No hormone meat from Canada. Canadian farmers are building up a hormone free product line

8. CETA – Content • Agriculture: • For Canada: No import duties for exports to EU milk market (free access) • For Canadian meat exports to EU – import quota: 50 000 tons (hormone free) beef and 75 000 tons pork meat • EU can export 16.000 tons of raw milk cheese and 1700 tons of industrial cheese to Canada without duties

9. CETA – Content • ISDS • Article to protect investors: companies can sue states at arbitration tribunals • Politicians (of EU-Parliament and national parliaments) and many NGO‘s want to abolish ISDS article • Trade Commissioner seems to hold on to article

10. CETA – Resistance • Resistance regarding CETA has increased (also because of TTIP discussions) • For example Citizens‘ Initiative against TTIP also mentioned CETA • The media talk more and more about CETA • Politicians are still discussing ISDS and the question whether Member States should ratify CETA (and therefore would be able to refuse CETA)

11. Thank you for your attention!