DemandforthedemocratisationofEUtradeagreementsThecriticismoftheproblemsintermsofthecontentanddemocraticpolicyofTTIP,CETA,TISAandothertradeandinvestmentagreementshasnowalmostbecomecommonpractice.Incontrast,proposalsonhowthetradepolicyshouldbechangedinthefuture,areveryseldommade.Thisarticlehasthepurposeofbringingintodiscussiondemands,whichwillallowEUtradeagreementstobedemocratised.

Inprinciple,theproposalsmadeinrelationtotheTTIP-,CETA-andTISAnegotiationsarealsotransferrabletootherinternationalagreementsthatareconcludedbytheEU.ManyoftheimprovementscanonlybeimplementedbymakingamendmentstotheEUcontracts,otherscanbeswiftlyintroducedbypracticalactiononpartoftheparticipatinginstitutions-inparticulartheEUCommission-orbyinterinstitutionalagreementsbetweentheCouncil,theCommissionandEuropeanParliament.ThistextfocusesonspecificproposalsforactionwithintheframeworkoftheEUanditdoesnotdiscussbroaderproposalsforthedemocratisationofglobaltradepolicy,forexample,areformoftheWTOortherelationshipbetweenbilateralandmultilateraltradeagreements.

AImprovementswithoutamendmentstotheEUagreements1.ThedraftnegotiatingtextsofallpartiesmustbepublishedAllproposalsfornegotiations(beitintheformofdraftagreementsordraftchaptersorotherwise),whichtheEUCommissionandthenegotiationpartnermutuallyprovidetoeachother,mustbepublishedinatimelymanner.Ifapotentialnegotiationpartnerdoesnotagreetothis,negotiationsshallnotcommence.Thepublicmustbekeptcontinuouslyinformedthroughoutthenegotiations.ThereisafundamentallackoftransparencyintheTTIPnegotiationssimplybecausetheUSrefusestoreleaseitsproposalstothepublic.EventhoughtherearesomeimprovementsonpartofEU,notalloftheproposalsfromtheEUCommissionarebeingpublished.Theactualnegotiationsdonothavetobepublished.2.ThepublicationofthemandateiscompulsoryThemandatesforTTIP,CETAaswellastheTISAhavenowbeenpublished,whilethemandatesforotheragreements,forinstancefortheEU-SingaporeFreeTradeAgreement,havenot.Thisinconsistenttransparencyiscompletelyunsatisfactory.Ageneralrulemustbecreated,whichprovidesfortheimmediatepublicationofadoptedmandates.

3.ComprehensivereporttotheEuropeanParliamentPreviously,onlytheEUCommissionhasbeennegotiatingwiththecontractpartner.TheCouncilisintensivelyinvolvedviatheTradePolicyCommittee.BasedonthedoctrineofSeparationofPowers,itwouldnotbeappropriatefortheEuropeanParliamenttobedirectlyinvolvedinthenegotiations.However,theremustbeacomprehensiveandcontinuousreporttotheentireEuropeanParliament.4.BalancedparticipationofstakeholdersTheEUCommissionmustinvolvethestakeholdersequally,bothBEFOREthecommencementofnegotiationsandTHROUGHOUTthenegotiations.Accordingtoitsownstatement,priortothecommencementtheTTIPnegotiations,90%oftheEUCommission'sconsultationswereheldwitheconomyandindustryrepresentatives.TheCommissiononlyswitchedtoamorebalancedinvolvementoftheplayerswhenthepublicprotestagainstTTIPcouldnolongerbeignored.5.Nonon-terminablecontractsandnoverylongtermcontractsDemocraticcontrolalsomeansthereversibilityofdecisionsthathavealreadybeenmade.Thisisahugeproblemwithtradeagreementsand/ormoregenerallywithinternationalcontracts.Amendmentscanusuallyonlybemadewiththeconsentofallcontractparties.Terminationsareaggravatedbylongcontractperiods(forinvestmentcontractseffectivelyupto20years)orduetoalackofterminationclauses.Therefore,futuretradeandinvestmentagreementsshouldonlybeconcludedwithterminationclauses.Longnoticeperiodsandeffectiveprotectionmeasuresininvestmentcontracts,whichsurvivethecancellation,mustalsobeexcluded.Followingapre-definedperiod(e.g.10years),thecontractmustbeevaluated.6.NoprovisionalapplicationTheprovisionalapplicationderivesfromInternationalContractLaw(ViennaConventionontheLawofTreaties)aswellasfromtheTFEU(TreatyontheFunctioningoftheEuropeanUnion).ThismeansthatatradeagreementcanbebroughtintoforcethroughaCouncilresolution,eveniftheratificationprocessis incomplete1with regard to toCETAorTTIP, thismeanse.g. that Investor-StateDisputeSettlement(ISDS)claimscanalreadybebroughtbeforearbitrationcourts,eventhoughthedebatesanddecisionsare still pending in the national parliaments. The provisional application is undemocratic because itpresentstheparliamentsandcitizenswithafaitaccomplisandalsoincreasesthepressuretoratifytheagreement.Forinstance,Russiawasorderedtopaydamagesamountingto50billionUSdollarsasaresultof an investor claim relating to the Energy Charta Treaty, even though theRussian Parliament neverratifiedtheagreement.Therefore,theCouncilshouldgenerallyrefrainfromallowingtheprovisionalapplicationofinternationalagreements.Atimelimitmaybeconsideredtopreventadelayintheratificationofundesirablecontracts.

1ThissolelypertainstothosepartsoftheagreementthataresubjecttothesoleorjointjurisdictionoftheEU.

BImprovements,withamendmentstotheEUagreements.7.TheEuropeanParliament(incooperationwiththeCouncil)adoptsthemandateThenegotiationmandatesetsoutthegeneralframeworkandthedirectionoftradeagreements.Previously,theCouncilmakesthisdecisionsolelyattherecommendationoftheCommission.InfuturetheCouncilandtheEuropeanParliamentshouldmakethisdecisionsjointly,inthesamewayasitisdoneintheco-decisionprocedure.TheCouncilandtheEuropeanParliamentshouldadditionallyalsobeentitledtoinitiatenegotiationmandates.Thiswouldclearlyincreasetheparliamentarycontrolandenhancethepublicdebateduringthepre-negotiationstagesandwithregardtothepurposeandmeaningofspecificcontracts.

8.TheEuropeanParliamentcanenforcesubsequentnegotiationsComparedtotheEuropeanParliament,theUSCongresshaswiderrangeofcontroloptions.Notonlycanitsay"yes"or"no"toanegotiatedclause,itancanalsoresolveamendments(inrealitythismeanssubsequentnegotiations).SucharightshouldalsobegrantedtotheEuropeanParliament.Inordertopreventnegotiationsfrombeingpostponedasaresultofcontinuous,tactically-motivated,newproposalsforamendments,thisrightcouldbelimitedtothesingleenforcementofsubsequentnegotiations.9.DirectdemocraticcontroloftradeagreementsisenabledThecitizensmustalsobeabletodecidewhetheranagreementshouldenterintoforce.Atpresenthowever,areferendumcanonlybeheldafterthenegotiationshavebeenconcludedandtheratificationprocesshasbeencompleted.Thereshouldbesufficienttimeforthisprocess,thetextmustbetranslatedintoalloftheofficiallanguagesoftheEU.AEuropeanCitizens'Initiative,whichallowsanegotiationmandatetobeissuedorannulled,shouldbeadmissible.Additionally,considerationmightbegiventoinfluencingongoingnegotiationsbycollectingacertainnumberofsignaturesforapetitioninordertoincludeaproposalfornegotiation.

Statusasat:18.4.2016