MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the presence of the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union

14.10.2015

pursuant to Rule 133 of the Rules of Procedure

Sophie Montel, Florian Philippot, Dominique Bilde

B8-1095/2015

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the presence of the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Rule 133 of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas the consolidated version of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union still provides for an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism, which threatens states’ sovereignty;

B.  whereas this mechanism would allow non‑Canadian companies (in particular those from the USA) to use their Canadian subsidiaries to prosecute EU Member States by invoking the chapter on the sovereignty of companies;

C.  whereas the European Commissioner for Trade stated that renegotiations on ISDS ‘had not yet begun’;

D.  whereas the German newspaper ‘Zeit Online’ reports that Ms Malmström ‘now has no plans to modify CETA before its ratification’;

E.  whereas the dispute settlement mechanism cannot subsequently be reformed;

1.  Calls on the Commission to abandon negotiations on CETA and its forthcoming ratification process.