ISDS under the CETA and other (bilateral) trade agreements

17.7.2014

Question for written answer E-005827-14
to the Commission
Rule 130
Fabio De Masi (GUE/NGL)

1. Given that the US is part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), will the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism envisioned for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) be available to US companies with Canadian subsidiaries, regardless of whether the mechanism is included in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)?

2. During the plenary debate of 15 July 2014 on the TTIP, a number of speakers pointed out that many of the EU’s bilateral trade agreements with third countries already include investor-state dispute settlement or similar mechanisms. Could the Commission list all the trade agreements that include such mechanisms, and the paragraphs in which the mechanisms appear?

3. How has the Commission dealt with investor-state dispute settlement or similar mechanisms in the past? What specific benefits did the EU Member States gain as a result?