bilaterals.org» All comments

All comments

    sam:
    23-Oct-2014
    Kenya: Why we got a raw deal in EPA

    Please be kind to your citizens who may not know the facts by being factual on all your observations. Let us build our economy and rely on the African continent for our markets , the EU will not be supportive, they have never been and will never be, they will just exploit your resources to create jobs for their citizens and develop heir country. So develop yours and create jobs for your people, that is what i would love to read from your article. Buy and consume Kenyan, built Kenya.

    Hemi:
    20-Oct-2014
    Guatemalan court suspends "Monsanto Law"

    For the Monsanto Law to have been passed initially smacks of corruption of those charged with protecting the very people the law would punish - shame, shame, shame.

    This is typical of Monsanto. Should a GE seed germinate, as a result of being wind blown, on a neighbouring farm that has not brought into growing GM plants the farmer on whose land the wind blown seed landed on is deemed to have broken the law by growing unauthorised seed. In other words he is guilty until proven innocent (Australia).

    Alan Adams:
    16-Oct-2014
    Document reveals EU bullied Ecuador into trade agreement

    Good article. Informative. However, just a comment on wording: "Solidarity economy" does not equal "socialist Economy" Solidarity economy is a new, though largely indigenous concept.

    Arthur:
    13-Oct-2014
    Corporations get lots, Canadians get little in CETA trade deal

    So, you want elected governments to have arbitrary unrestricted power - in particular over the "greedy" corporations - to change the laws and policies at whim, as the government wishes - without the options for the "ruled over" corporations to complain at an outside party (e.g. not at a court of the same state whose government did the rule change in the first place - since we all know how tight government-court links are, especially in some of the countries involved). And that’s a good thing - government to be more powerful than the governed.

    When the same elected government wants to use its power - in favor of enacting ISDS treaties - that according to you will harm "the people" - that’s not a good thing - government to be more powerful than the governed.

    So, do you have unlimited faith in the government or not? Your stance is contradictory. If you admit that government CAN do wrong (e.g. enact multiple treaties with "horrible" ISDS), then you should admit that investors need protection from other potential acts of this government - and this protection by definition can not come from courts closely linked with the wrong-doing-government and/or court judgments according to laws adopted by the wrong-doing-government. Protection can come only from supranational institution.

    ISDS does not reduce CURRENT environmental, labor or other requirements. What ISDS does is to restrict government ability to CHANGE the law in such way that the government takes profit away from investors that were compliant with the law before the change. And even such change is NOT restricted by ISDS - any change is allowed, but government will have to compensate the investors if they complain at the tribunal-not-affiliated-with-the-government.

    Filip Rembiałkowski:
    10-Oct-2014
    People, environment and democracy before profit and corporate rights

    Hello,
    I’m from Direct Democracy party in Poland.

    We are now discussing about officially supporting your anti-TTIP initiative.
    (this one http://www.bilaterals.org/?people-environment-and-democracy&lang=en )

    Are you OK with that? Where can we send our support letter? Will you include our support in the list?

    thanks

    Filip Rembiałkowski
    Demokracja Bezpośrednia
    Warszawa / Polska

    David :
    10-Oct-2014
    The threat of CETA: trade, investment and workers’ rights

    lol, this is ridiculous...

    Lynda MacHaila:
    8-Oct-2014
    Guatemalan court suspends "Monsanto Law"

    There are criminals that go to a bank with a gun and, take money, they go to jail. There are others that commit crimes of grater consequence to individuals and to the world and, they make big money. Where is the wisdom that is in charge of our health and welfare. Where are those that we’ve elected to take care of us, our children and, the children of the world?

    ANde:
    7-Oct-2014
    Guatemalan court suspends "Monsanto Law"

    and what kind of people support a company like this??
    We all do!! look around your home and your closet Monsanto is written all over them unless you are very, very selective. We all need to stand up to this abhoracious (yes, my word) company.

    ian harris:
    7-Oct-2014
    Why the climate movement cannot ignore trade

    When global warming did n’t happen, it became climate change. This is an entirely man-made panic about something which is probably not going to happen, and if it does happen, it will be as the result of natural forces. The earth has warmed and cooled many times during its evolution, long before man was able to affect it, and personally I believe our puny efforts have litttle or no effect. All that has happened as a result of this misguided campaign is that politicians have been terrified into wasting money on wind turbines, which only work when the wind blows, and solar, which only works when the sun shines. The extra cost of these useless technologies falls on the public because they are heavily subsidized. Meanwhile, fossil fuels provide an essential back up without which the lights will go out. The only practical alternative to fossil fuels is nuclear, which has its problems, but is the best alternative. However, Green activists have managed to panic politicians about nuclear as well, so nothing is happening.

    It also concerns me that most climate change protagonists are employed by wind turbine manufacturers, solar panel manufacturers, or are academics whose incomes and career are based on scare tactics.

    anton french:
    7-Oct-2014
    Guatemalan court suspends "Monsanto Law"

    I find it the idea of a corporation being able to control food in this way abhorrent.
    What kind of people would work for such a disgusting company.

    Jacques Berthelot:
    6-Oct-2014
    EU hopes EPA with Kenya to be concluded by end of October

    It is not enough to say that the EU will raise import duties (of the GSP) on its imports from Kenya - in fact of € 61.8 million on the basis of its actual imports in 2013 - because they should be compared with the losses in tariff revenues of the 5 EAC Member States both on 83% of their imports from the EU - assessed by the South Centre to be of € 162 millions on the basis of 2012 but of € 2 billion after 20 years (taking into account the growth in imports) - but also on their export taxes that the EPA forbids to increase despite that the EAC population would be multplied by 2.7 from 2010 (140 millions) to 2050 (383 millions).
    See "GSP duties Kenya would have to pay on its exports to the EU if the regional EAC EPA is not ratified": http://www.solidarite.asso.fr/Papers-2014

    Jacques Berthelot:
    6-Oct-2014
    L’UE espère signer l’APE avec la CEA d’ici fin octobre

    Il ne suffit pas de dire que l’UE prélèvera des droits de douane (du SPG) sur ses importations du Kenya - en fait de 61,8 millions d’euros sur la base des importations en 2013 - car il faut les comparer avec les pertes de recettes douanières que les 5 pays de la CAE subiront à la fois sur 83% de leurs importations venant de l’UE - estimées à 162 millions d’euros sur la base de 2012 mais de 2 milliards d’euros après 20 ans en tenant compte de la croissance des importations - mais aussi sur les taxes à l’exportation que l’APE interdit d’augmenter alors même que la population sera multipliée par 2,7 de 2010 (140 millions) à 2050 (383 millions).
    Lire "GSP duties Kenya would have to pay on its exports to the EU if the regional EAC EPA is not ratified GSP duties Kenya would have to pay on its exports to the EU if the regional EAC EPA is not ratified": http://www.solidarite.asso.fr/Papers-2014

    Dom Ramos:
    5-Oct-2014
    EU must tear up association agreement with Israel

    I think your comment deliberately avoids the issues: banned chemical warfare (phosphorus shells) used against known targets where civilians are, whether or not Hamas’ poorly equipped rockets are there, pre-warned areas where children and casualties were being treated in hospitals with imaprtial UN observers present and after several warnings were issued to the IDF and ignored, the mass bombing of civilian areas- see the internationally agreed footage and photos rather than the footage only approved by the IDF censors that the Americans you mention always go through.

    Eduardo :
    25-Sep-2014
    The international implications of the Philip Morris branding battle in Uruguay

    The Board of Directors and main owners of Philip Morris shoud go to jail and pay Public Health expenses in the countries they sell their toxic product!

    César Zamora:
    19-Sep-2014
    Nuevo revés para Monsanto en Costa Rica

    Siempre se confunde lo que significa adquirir la exclusividad, sobre lo que una persona desarrolla con la autorización para comercializar. La siembra de transgénicos en Guatemala está prohibida, excepto cuando es para investigación.

    Bernard K. Gordon:
    13-Sep-2014
    EU must tear up association agreement with Israel

    A very misguided comment was posted on your site, recommending that the EU-Israel trade agreement be "torn up."
    As many, many long and directly-experienced American commentators have pointed out, the record of Hamas during the Israel/Hamas hostilities earlier t his summer, is one of INTENTIONALLY LOCATING ATTACK-TUNNELS AND ROCKET LAUNCHING SITES (aimed to kill Israeli civiians) in the midst of Palestinian civilian locations. As the former USMC Commandant wrote earlier this summer, never in history has a military taken more pains to AVOID civilian casualties than the Israeli Defence force (IDF). The decision to post this one-sided politically-motivated attack on your site is reprehensible for two reasons: first because it is groundless, and second because it distorts the purposes of your "bilaterals.org." site.

    Muthucumaraswamy Sornarajah:
    12-Sep-2014
    Bilateral Investment Treaty to lure US companies to India, says expert

    It is a myth that investment treaties attract foreign investment. There are no studies which conclusively prove this assumption. What we know is that the existing Indian BITs have enabled disgruntled investors to bring arbitrations against India. These will prove costly to defend. Usually, arbitration tribunals, due to their bias in favour of investment protection, will make heavy awards against the state. The awards run into several millions of dollars. Given that fact. prudence requires that the Government of India keeps away from these investment treaties. Most Latin American countries have withdrawn from the system. India made these treaties in a hurry, without any prudent consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of the treaty. Now it faces the situation in which the decisions of its Supreme Court are the focus of arbitral challenge in foreign tribunals, constituted by men who have no knowledge of the country’s constitutional law.

    The US treaty has much higher standards than the treaties made with other states. For one, it has a pre-entry national treatment standard which ensures that an American citizen can enter any sector of the industry on the same terms as an Indian. For this reason and for others, with the exceptions of a few states (Singapore, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka), few states have considered investment treaties with the US. India should hold open
    and public discussions before permitting a treaty that implicates its judicial sovereignty and has several pitfalls for the Indian economy.

    Harvey Dann:
    9-Sep-2014
    US dairy groups oppose Canadian market access restrictions

    I read with great interest your article on cheese imports into Canada. It is unfortunate that this happened for everyone concerned. Perhaps everyone needs to take a look at COOL (Country of
    Origin Labelling) and how some segments of your industry and your US Administration handled
    the situation. Your Administration has not honoured NAFTA on the Beef issue, made a mockery
    out of initial WTO decision by making matters worse and will no doubt challenge the second
    WTO decision when it becomes official. Your government’s action has forced Canada to be more
    aggressive in looking for new markets and expanding present markets rather than to continue
    to be bullied by an Administration that won’t listen to even the large majority of your own
    industry never mind your two major trading partners Canada and Mexico. Right now it has and
    is costing everyone involved ,producers ,processors ,retailers and consumers a lot of money and
    wasted energy to provide a protein source for all concerned in all countries mentioned. The bright
    side of what I call stupid and ill thought out costly actions for all concerned by your Administration
    continues to keep Lawyers off the street and fully employed. Harvey Dann

    Rosi DeJean:
    4-Sep-2014
    US back ECOWAS’ efforts to attain borderless trade status

    The overall evidence of free trade has failed to support economic development in any of the countries under the Free Trade Act. The evidence has supported a rise in poverty in those regions, especially reviewing the Caribbean islands (Haiti, Jamaica, and The Bahamas) and Latin America, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Guatemala, etc. Free trade simply shifts economic prosperity from the local economy to the transatlantic and multinational corporations, and the high interest rate in carrying the debt via IMF overwhelmingly eats away at any profit that may be possible. In the case of Haiti, in 1994, the tariffs on the national staple rice was lowered from 35% to 3%, the country was flooded with American rice at lower cost which caused a shot down of the rice production because the local consumers (Haitians) were compelled to purchase the cheaper rise since money is already scare in an impoverished nation. These local consumers thought they were saving money but in effect they were destroying their own agricultural sector, forcing rice farmers to abandon their land because they could not afford to produce the rice since it was not being purchased by local consumers. This is the kicker, the Haitian land (Artibonite) that produces the rice has been proven that it is a better quality of rice than the rice imported from the U.S. As a result those farmers are forced to abandon their lands to go toil in American factories earning $.50 cent an hour or flee their country in search of new prospects to earn a living. The trickle effect is now the unemployment level has increased tenfold in an already high unemployment environment.

    When major corporation enter a market, it creates a shift from small producers to large corporation thereby shifting small producers out of their production and now an increase employment and in poverty. Because the small producer was filling an employment gap and contributing to the local economy, producing local foods for the local people and thereby the ability to support families. Now, as the major corporations take over the production from the small producer, the unemployment rate increases and the effect is an increase in poverty.

    Free Trade Act is another opportunity to violate sovereignty of a nation and forcing the nation to relinquish its sovereign right to the corporation. It is a dangerous path to follow because in the end it will result is an increase in the already overwhelming level of 2 billion living in poverty.

    Rosi DeJean

    JACK:
    4-Sep-2014
    Government moves to protect rooibos in EU — eight years on

    FINALLY Someone gets some Backbone