TTIP's smaller brother

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

While everyone is bickering about TTIP and its imperialist purpose regarding Europe, there's another agreement that's gradually gaining support among the traitorous EU leaders: the Canada-EU free-trade agreement, called CETA.

Just like the US deal, CETA contains a new legal system, open only to foreign corporations and investors - in fact, the general suspicion is that this agreement is the backdoor for US corporations to enter Europe the "other way", posing as Canadian-registered capitals.

A closer look at CETA reveals some alarming facts. Under the CETA stipulations, should the German government for example make a decision, say, to outlaw dangerous chemicals, improve food safety or put cigarettes in plain packaging, a Canadian (read: US) company can sue the German government for "unfairness". Corporate courts have conveniently been stipulated in the agreement, of course, their power overruling that of national legislations. And what does "fairness" mean? Simply they can't make as much profit as they expected. The "trial" would be held at those special tribunals, unelected by the people, unappointed by the people's lawful representatives, overseen and responsible only to corporate lawyers and their corporate overlords.

Beautiful, isn't it?

FYI, almost all EU governments are now actively pushing for CETA (why am I not surprised?). Mine traded its last shreds of national sovereignty by taking the bait that Canada would remove the visas for our citizens in exchange. The only resistance came from Wallonia, the French-speaking portion of Belgium, which, according to Belgian law, can veto decisions of national importance for Belgium - hence, Belgium is the last obstacle to this power-grab. And the EU is pressuring Belgium very fiercely to quit being such a pain in the ass. My prediction is not good: Belgium will cave in, eventually. And Europe will sell its ass to North America sometime within the next couple of months. Congrats!

Comments

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

It's like the tale of the trade prince and the sleeping beauty. Sleeping Europe is just waiting to be screwed, and it's willingly giving its ass.

The squares around Europe are boiling with rage against this behind-the-back stab on part of their rulers. In fact the public pressure is so immense, CETA is at the brink of failing now.

The problem with CETA is that it's far from giving equal grounds to the two sides. Europe is simply not prepared for that sort of competition, because the European goods are burdened with regulations that make them comparatively incompetitive to their North American counterparts. And I'm not talking of technology advantages, GMOs or financial resources. I'm talking of production efficiency. The European governments can't afford to quit the VAT and excises on fuels for example, to make their goods competitive. Which means Europe would be flooded with cheap US and Canadian goods and this would cause mass unemployment. Without trans-Atlantic synchronisation of the most important tax codes, the outcome of this competition is pre-determined. It won't be among equals.

And then of course there's the most controversial part, these corporate courts, which are essentially stripping countries of their legislative sovereignty.

In a nutshell, given the form this agreement is currently being presented in, it's basically economic occupation. Unless it's amended in a way that would answer the needs and capabilities of BOTH sides more adequately, it's bound to cause a catastrophe. And the sleeping beauty that is Europe is most likely going to be raped.

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

This is going to be the final poison that will destroy the EU from within, if it's accepted. In fact, EU has started crumbling already.

Some folks across the Pond must be ecstatic.

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

TTIP has been delayed by the French, and now CETA is being derailed by the French-speaking Walloons.

I didn't think I'd feel this again so soon: thank the Gods for France and the French speakers.

Nevertheless, the EU is a bit of a mess at the moment, and is in need of reform. I can only pray that the responsible amongst the EU leaders take this opportunity and renew the EU to be something better fit for good use by its citizens in the 21st Century.

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

Wallonia is a symptom, not the cause for EU's problems. As is the Brexit.

The EU must reform itself. There's no alternative course of action at this point.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Apparently, the problem goes way deeper (http://Coffee House Germany, not Wallonia, is to blame for the collapse of EU-Canada trade talks) than Wallonia.

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

Link appears broken. :(

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/10/failure-ceta-spells-doom-eu/

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

Not months. Days. As predicted, Wallonia has given up (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-canada-trade-idUSKCN12R0XQ?il=0).

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

Without getting the deal they wanted?

The devil is in the detail, of course, but reading through the agreement will take more time than I have. :(

Oh well, I can hope.

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

Actually Wallonia got a very good deal. They received guarantees for the welfare system, environment protection, and the prerogatives of these controversial corporate courts.

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

Excellent. A small win then.

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

Like they're going to keep their promise.

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

Well if they don't keep their promises they will be contributing to the break up of Belgium, which will destabilise the EU further.