International

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada is more than ever an empty shell, and the decision of the German Constitutional Court in its favour as well as the haste with which the European Commission has given the treaty its approval, are starting to acquire laughable proportions. The SP is opposed to the agreement in its entirety, but suggests that at the very least the verdict of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) should be awaited.

While the TTIP negotiations have been postponed, the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada has been fast-tracked, with the treaty’s signing having been fixed for 27 October. CETA comes down to TTIP via the back door, because most US corporations have subsidiaries in Canada. Major claims for damages can therefore be made just as easily against the Netherlands via CETA as via TTIP. That’s why we are demonstrating in Amsterdam on 22 October and why we are calling on trade minister Lilianne Ploumen not to approve the agreement.