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Union organizations from Africa, America, Asia and Europe meet in Paris
22-Mar-2013 CGT
The Confederación General del Trabajo (Spain), the Union Syndicale Solidaires (France) and the Central Sindical e Popular Conlutas (Brazil) have extended an international invitation to all organizations that consider themselves part of the combative trade union movement and see the need for social transformation to an international trade union meeting to be held in Paris from 22 to 24 March in order to work towards the coordination of alternative trade-unionism on an international level
Japan, EU to launch free trade talks next week
22-Mar-2013 AFP
Japan and the European Union will hold a summit next week at which they are expected to formally launch negotiations on a huge free trade deal, officials said on Friday.
Obama administration notifies Congress of intent to negotiate Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
22-Mar-2013 USTR
The Obama Administration has notified US Congress of its intent to enter into negotiations on a comprehensive trade and investment agreement with the European Union, specifying its negotiating objectives.
Differences in prominent US and EU treaties concerning liability for service providers
22-Mar-2013 Infojustice
A comparison of language between two of the most substantive and recent free trade agreements (FTAs) adopted by the US and the EU for one controversial area of IP: liability for internet service providers (ISP) for infringing content.
Bilateral agreements easy to negotiate’
21-Mar-2013
Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) could be successful if bilateral agreements between the member countries complement them.
President pledges to create conditions for Taiwan’s TPP access
21-Mar-2013
President Ma Ying-jeou said Thursday that his government will work hard to create the conditions for Taiwan to participate in the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership at an appropriate time.
European Union-India FTA may hit generic medical industry
21-Mar-2013
The free trade agreement that European Union is pushing India to sign could put an end to India’s status as the pharmacy of the developing providing affordable medicines, especially HIV drugs to countries like Brazil, Thailand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and several others. The negotiations with EU are on at a feverish pace this week in Brussels even before the parliamentary standing committee looking into the free trade agreements (FTAs) has submitted its report.
Blanco: Free trade agreements are rendering WTO rules obsolete
21-Mar-2013 This Day
Dr. Herminio Blanco, the Mexican Candidate for the position of the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, says the rules being negotiated in the WTO are becoming obsolete when compared to free trade agreements negotiated all over the world.
Panama-Colombia free trade talks stall
21-Mar-2013 Newsroom Panama
The sixth round of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between Panama and Colombia in Medellin, closed in Medellin last Friday without any agreement being reached.
US says trade talks are ajar for China
21-Mar-2013 China Daily
The United States remains open to including China in a Pacific free-trade zone, Washington’s top trade official said less than a week after Japan asked to join the negotiations.
US hoping South Korea will join trans-pacific partnership
21-Mar-2013 Hankyoreh
To counter China, US is seeking to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, and wants SK as a partner
EU-Vietnam weigh FTA
21-Mar-2013 Asia Times Online
While both sides agree an FTA would on the whole be mutually beneficial, negotiations will likely be complicated by the potential socio-economic impacts a pact would have on Vietnam’s fragile transitional economy.
CALL TO ACTION! Deal a decisive blow to Neoliberalism - End the WTO and Stop the new wave of Free Trade Agreements - The time is now for Economic Justice!
21-Mar-2013
The Indonesian People’s Movement Against Neocolonialism-Imperialism (Gerak Lawan) would like to work hand in hand with other movements in Asia and around the world, to dismantle the ongoing efforts to revive the WTO in the upcoming Ministerial meeting to be held in Bali, Indonesia on 3-6 December 2013.
EU roadmap for Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)
21-Mar-2013 EU
Indicative roadmap prepared by the European Commission for the EU-US FTA negotiations
France draws red lines for EU-US free trade negotiations
20-Mar-2013 EurActiv
Food safety, GMO cultivation and France’s cherished “cultural exception” for audiovisual services are non-negotiable areas in view of upcoming EU-US free trade talks, the French stressed. The message was apparently well received by the European Commission in Brussels.
Civil society statement – No copyright in the EU-US trade agreement!
19-Mar-2013 Infojustice
"From a democratic perspective, we believe that important rules governing technology, health, and culture should be debated in the US Congress, the European Parliament, national parliaments, and other transparent forums where all stakeholders can be heard—not in closed negotiations that give privileged access to corporate insiders."
Mass rally against EU-FTA held
19-Mar-2013
A mass rally cum public meeting protesting against the proposed India- EU FTA was held today at Kumbi in Bishnupur district, said a release of United Community Development Platform, Moirang.
TPP entry could pave way for US LNG deal
19-Mar-2013 Japan Times
Japan’s bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations may make it easier for it to import liquefied natural gas from the United States, a prospect that is raising the hackles of environmental groups.
European lawmakers urge suspension of agreement with Israel
19-Mar-2013 PNN
Palestinian official news agency WAFA reports that European parliamentarians wrote European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton last week calling on her to suspend the Association Agreement with Israel because of the latter’s violation of the terms of the agreement.
Multinational firms look for tax shields in bilateral pacts
19-Mar-2013 Live Mint
The aggressive push by India’s tax department to increase revenue has prompted several multinational companies to informally seek the views of lawyers and consultants about invoking bilateral investment promotion and protection agreements to resist the government’s demands for more money.