Challenging liberalisation of public services in TTIP and beyond

“Challenging liberalisation of public services in TTIP and beyond”
Training seminar organised by EPSU, ETUCE, AK and ÖGB, 15-16 January 2015

For follow up, report, presentation and background information CLICK HERE

We are pleased to invite you to a training seminar on trade policy organised by EPSU, ETUCE, AK and ÖGB, 15-16 January 2015, ÖGB offices, Riverbox – 10th floor (Elevator A), Johann-Böhm-Platz 1, 1020 Wien, Austria.

Objectives
- Challenge liberalisations in public services
- Better understand the problems of TTIP, CETA and TiSA for public services, in particular education and health / social services
- Build our campaign for the carve out / exclusion of public services, not least education and health/social services at Member State level
- Protect public health and other general interest objectives (good governance, fundamental rights, rule of law)
- Develop our proposals for protecting public services in trade agreements, based on texts and ideas put forward by Prof Markus Krajewski, AK and others

Methodology

The focus of the training will be on TTIP, CETA and TiSA and the EU’s trade policy. EPSU and ETUCE invite representatives participants from all EU / EEA plus other European TiSA countries (Turkey and Switzerland). We would welcome in particular representatives from Eastern Europe who have been under-represented so far in the trade debates.
The training will mainly be focused as a workshop to engage participants actively through the three main topics listed above and to develop some ideas for local, national and European lobbying on these. Participants will receive a background document containing an update on the different negotiations and questions to be discussed during the training.

Participation

Places are available for up approximately 20 EPSU participants and we encourage in particular representatives from Eastern Europe to participate. EPSU will reimburse participation costs of at least one person from each of 10 Eastern European Member States, plus Turkey.

Reimbursement rules: Please note that financial assistance will be available for qualifying unions up to 500 EUR for at least one representative per country in accordance with the EPSU Rules (Financial assistance is only allocated to representatives of unions having fulfilled their affiliation obligations towards EPSU/PSI as laid out in our respective Constitutions and the Cooperation agreement article 18.6 and only to countries under 100% on the ‘5 band’ index).

Further information on reimbursement will be sent to registered participants.

Languages

The working languages will be English and German, plus others to be decided according to registration. Please register quickly – and at least before the 20 November - so that we can organise interpretation in the most efficient way.

Hotel accommodation – block booking!

EPSU will organise a block booking near the meeting venue for all participants. Further details to follow.

EPSU will make your reservation on the basis of the information you provide on your participation form and will send you a confirmation.
For those who receive financial assistance the hotel will be paid directly by EPSU.

Taxi costs or other expenses such as parking fees, telephone, mini bar, extra nights will not be reimbursed.

A dinner for all participants will be organized on the evening on 15 January.

Please fill in and return the attached participation form by 20 November at the latest to Anneke Krijger, [email protected].
Early registration will help us to organise the interpretation requirements.

- Participants list

participants list update 15.1.15

- Draft agenda

2nd draft agenda

- BACKGOUND DOCUMENT: Update on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA)

background document

- We have posted on the EPSU website at a report on the investor-state protection provisions in the recently agreed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada. The report explains how CETA's investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism - which gives corporations the ability to sue governments at private international tribunals - would put at risk regulatory safeguards. The report gives examples of cases brought by investors against laws that protect public health such as anti-smoking laws, bans on toxics and mining, requirements for environmental impact assessments, and regulations relating to hazardous waste, tax measures and fiscal policies.
- Please see below the EC Press Release (7 January) on steps taken to increase transparency in the TTIP trade negotiations. This follows an opinion released also today from the EU Ombudsman calling for greater public access to consolidated negotiating texts (see Ombudsman’s website)

At the end of the PR you will find the link to a number of new EC texts, including on services, public procurement, regulatory cooperation and state owned enterprises.