Meeting of the Committee on International Trade on the Investment protection in TTIP (ISDS) in the EP in Brussels. Statements Bernd LANGE (S&amp;D, DE), Chair of INTA, Godelieve QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL (EPP, DE), shadow rapporteur, Marietje SCHAAKE (ALDE, NL), shadow rapporteur, and Helmut SCHOLZ (GUE/NGL, DE), shadow rapporteur

Brussels

meeting

Committee on International Trade

LANGE, Bernd (S&D, DE)

SCHAAKE, Marietje (ALDE, NL)

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T)

QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL, Godelieve (EPP, DE)

Investment protection in TTIP (ISDS): MEP's reactions

SOUNDBITE (English), Bernd LANGE (S&amp;D, DE), Chair of INTA , "A good aspect for example is the EU mentioning of the right to regulate so that this new instrument will not harm the right to regulate of the national Parliament but on the other side the scope of the new instrument is not really clear defined so there are room for manoeuvre room for interpretation still that's it I think a negative point."

SOUNDBITE (English), Bernd LANGE (S&amp;D, DE), Chair of INTA , "We are asking for independent judge mainly based on judgement in the national services and in the proposal of Cecilia Malmstr&ouml;m (EU Commissioner) there is a clear priority for national judges but the old fashioned kind of lawyers are also allowed to be in the involved so that's not acceptable that will have to change."

SOUNDBITE (English), Bernd LANGE (S&amp;D, DE), Chair of INTA, "That would be the best solution in independent international arbitration Court for investment but similar to the Court in the WTO on the subsidees and the competition laws."

SOUNDBITE (English), Bernd LANGE (S&amp;D, DE), Chair of INTA, "There are some positive elements but the discussion will go on."

SOUNDBITE (English), Godelieve QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL (EPP, DE), (shadow rapporteur), In principle I am in favour of an arbitration system, but it cannot be the system we know from the existing treaties and from the situation that started almost 70 years ago with the first bilateral treaties.

SOUNDBITE (English), Godelieve QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL (EPP, DE), (shadow rapporteur), If we achieve a proper negotiation with the Americans, we will have  a proper common view on protection of investments and a kind of arbitration settlement. Maybe with a Court  on the mid-term run, than we can set , let's say , the first bases for an International commercial court. Than it will be possible for other states to join and to have a real international  body.

SOUNDBITE (English), Marietje SCHAAKE (ALDE, NL), (shadow rapporteur), Indeed investment protection is very important, but there are very different ways in which this can be organised, and of course a dispute it's always the exception. Normally flows of investments are going very well, and only in rare cases there is a conflict.

SOUNDBITE (English), Marietje SCHAAKE (ALDE, NL), (shadow rapporteur), The proposal of the Commission that we have asked for include more transparency in the process , more clear independence on the people who are the arbitration judges, so who has which role in this process it is important. We also want to bring in civil and NGO's organisations that might have an opinion on a case, so let's allow them to give that, and there should be an appeal mechanism, a way to challenge the ruling of such a Court or Panel.

SOUNDBITE (English), Marietje SCHAAKE (ALDE, NL), (shadow rapporteur), Its important to see where the Council is going. we are seeing some countries very active with their proposal, and others quite silent or even opposing any reform. So I think the last word has not been set about, but an important start on the discussion on what reform should look like to have a modern future proof investment protection mechanism is what happens today and what will continue to do.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helmut SCHOLZ (GUE/NGL, DE), (shadow rapporteur), "I think the proposal is not yet,  we are in need for protection for investors but on the other side also protection of citizens against the interest of profit making big corporations banking groups e.t.c. So here I think even the proposal today presented by Ms Malmstr&ouml;m is not the answer I have expected."

SOUNDBITE (English), Helmut SCHOLZ (GUE/NGL, DE), (shadow rapporteur), "The new mechanism which is giving the power back to the legal systems to the normal courts in a transparent way to give the public an understanding what the disputes are about and then everybody can understand what will be the final solution of such a dispute and I also want to stress very clearly that if we are to speak about investors to have the rights against states to ask for settlement then what is the right of citizens against the policy carried out by the investors."