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A SURVEY HAS found “huge scepticism” among Europeans about a key element in a huge EU-US trade deal that lets corporations sue governments, trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem has said.
The result is the latest setback for the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Pact). The EU and United States began 19 months ago talks on what aims be the world’s biggest free trade deal.
The online consultation received 150,000 responses, an EU record, though officials insisted that 97 percent of these contained pre-defined, negative answers organised by activists.
The consultation clearly shows that there is a huge scepticism against the ISDS instrument”, Malmstroem said in a statement.
ISDS, or the investor-state dispute settlement, is a key part of the trade deal which would allow firms to sue national governments if they feel that local laws such as health and safety regulations violate the trade deal and threaten their investments.
But campaigners in key EU countries are fiercely opposed to the clause.
In an effort to appease their concerns, the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, carried out the survey.
“We need to have an open and frank discussion about investment protection and ISDS in TTIP with EU governments, with the European Parliament and civil society before launching any policy recommendations in this area,” Malmostroem added.
The United States has made the inclusion of the investor clause a key part of its demands, and the whole deal could fail if the battle against it prevails.
2015 goal unlikely
The EU’s 28 governments, which unanimously approved the terms of negotiations including ISDS, have set themselves the ambitious goal of concluding the talks by the end of 2015.
The next round of talks is in February.
But the fierce resistance against ISDS and other hot-button issues – including the protection of European products like Germany’s bratwurst sausage from low-quality copycats – makes this seem unlikely.
Irish EU agriculture commissioner Phil Hogan previously said there had been no real desire on the American side to see the free-trade deal completed and any agreement would more likely come after the 2016 US presidential election.
He was keen to protect the EU from US hormone-enriched beef as part of any negotiations.
Additional reporting Peter Bodkin
Originally posted at 1.59pm
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In the famous words of the man himself at closing ti
“Now ladies and gentlemen,time is our master”
Thanks for the memories Leo
Headline is awful!! “Father of Enya and Clannad”?. Anyway aside from that, may he rest in peace. There’s surely an amazing concert going on somewhere with all the musicians that have passed this year. 2016 is kinda like the Government, it just keeps taking.
What’s wrong with that? “Fther of Enya and Clannad” tells us instantly who he was, for those of us who didn’t know.
I imagine Noel and Padraig Duggan will be surprised to find out he was their father.
Typical lazy slop from thejournal.
Mmmmmmm, actually it doesn’t. And just like Sinead here today, you really should do your research before you put your foot in it. He was the father of four of the group (All who should have been named in the headline). However, he was not the father of the Duggan brothers, who although related to the band, are not their siblings.
This is a comments section, not a PHD Thesis submission. You can’t seriously expect people to do “research”.
He dies a proud man and proud father who has made a great contribution to irish music and culture ..
Rest In Peace Leo
up the standard of reporting please , “and their Clannad siblings has died” seriously? I get you might be too lazy to look up their names but they are people, they don’t go around together being introduced as “Clannad”
My thoughts exactly, they were just as important to him I’m sure as Enya was.
Hey all,
The names are all in there.
Leo is survived by his wife Máire ‘Baba’ Brennan and children Moya, Ciarán, Pól, Deirdre, Leon, Enya, Olive, Bartley and Brídín.
This was how his death notice was written by family and friends.
Thanks
Sinead
Sinead, you can please some of the people some of the time…..I think you know the rest.
Ar dheis Dé a anam uasal. duine macánta den scoth.
A great musician and entertainer. A night in Tig Leo was always one to remember. He had great respect for his customers and always encouraged people to perform and entertain. Any teacher working in Loch an Iúir during the summer college season would remember his welcome and friendly disposition. He will be greatly missed. When a man like him passes on a great library closes. Luckily he has passed his talent to his children. Ar dheis Dé.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
Bartley Brennan, now that’s a name!
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