Brussels, 04/07/2011
Bernadette Ségol, ETUC General Secretary, has written to the Commissioner asking that the EU should adjust its negotiating position to ensure that a strong dispute settlement mechanism, including the possibility of fines being imposed for breaches of international obligations on labour standards, is included in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement currently being negotiated with Canada. Such a provision, which the Canadian side supports, would send a strong message also in the context of negotiations with other countries that the EU wants to ensure the full observance of standards set by the International Labour Organisation as part of its trade policy.
The ETUC is pursuing other issues in relation to the negotiations, and in particular opposes the inclusion of investment protection provisions in the Agreement, which would lack any justification and give business powers to bring into question democratic decisions and extract huge monetary compensation.