1,000 signatures reached
To: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Defence Helen McEntee
Stop CETA: Stop secretive corporate courts
CETA is a dodgy trade deal between the EU & Canada, that has the creation of investor courts (ISDS) buried deep in the agreement. These would allow corporations to sue the Irish government for compensation if they think their profits are under threat as a result of changes to laws or regulations.
Helen McEntee is pushing ahead to change our laws so that she can ratify CETA. We are asking all TDs to vote against the amendment to the Arbitration Act that would allow the government to sign up to the investor court element of CETA.
We call on you to get rid of ISDS from existing treaties and to stop signing new treaties with any form of ISDS.
Helen McEntee is pushing ahead to change our laws so that she can ratify CETA. We are asking all TDs to vote against the amendment to the Arbitration Act that would allow the government to sign up to the investor court element of CETA.
We call on you to get rid of ISDS from existing treaties and to stop signing new treaties with any form of ISDS.
Why is this important?
CETA is a proposed trade deal between the EU and Canada. Buried in the smaller print there is the creation of a hugely problematic new corporate court that will override our current courts. CETA is a dangerous corporate power grab that gives multinational corporations extraordinary powers to sue us for millions of euros in shady, secretive tribunals if they believe our local and national government policies have put our interests ahead of their expected profits.
For example, if CETA were to be implemented and the government enacts limits on rent, as Ireland's largest private landlord (often referred to as a 'Vulture Fund') is Canadian - Ires Reit - they could sue the state to make up for any loss of profit to the Canadian company.
If we bring in more climate laws or regulation to work towards addressing some of the causes of climate crisis, companies can sue is if they think the laws will affect their profits too.
Governments have been sued in other countries who have introduced these new types of courts.
This new court system, that supersedes and operates outside our own court system, would lead an already corporate-friendly government further down the road of putting business profits above the needs of Irish people and make secure, sustainable and affordable homes more out of reach.
Once CETA is ratified, it allows investors to go straight to these special tribunals and sideline domestic courts and those of the European Union. Investor court decisions cannot be challenged by either the State or the EU; this is the equivalent of handing corporations a blank cheque!
We must stand against this corporate takeover that will risk our efforts of addressing the climate, cost of living, and housing crises.
For more info on investor courts and the damage they do, check out this information resource: https://corporateeurope.org/en/international-trade/2019/01/investor-privileges-vs-people-and-planet
Image source: Avaaz
For example, if CETA were to be implemented and the government enacts limits on rent, as Ireland's largest private landlord (often referred to as a 'Vulture Fund') is Canadian - Ires Reit - they could sue the state to make up for any loss of profit to the Canadian company.
If we bring in more climate laws or regulation to work towards addressing some of the causes of climate crisis, companies can sue is if they think the laws will affect their profits too.
Governments have been sued in other countries who have introduced these new types of courts.
This new court system, that supersedes and operates outside our own court system, would lead an already corporate-friendly government further down the road of putting business profits above the needs of Irish people and make secure, sustainable and affordable homes more out of reach.
Once CETA is ratified, it allows investors to go straight to these special tribunals and sideline domestic courts and those of the European Union. Investor court decisions cannot be challenged by either the State or the EU; this is the equivalent of handing corporations a blank cheque!
We must stand against this corporate takeover that will risk our efforts of addressing the climate, cost of living, and housing crises.
For more info on investor courts and the damage they do, check out this information resource: https://corporateeurope.org/en/international-trade/2019/01/investor-privileges-vs-people-and-planet
Image source: Avaaz