Alternatives for the ‘Energy and Raw Materials Chapters’ in EU trade agreements
How trade agreements could strengthen human rights and environmental protection in the raw materials sector The European Union is one of the largest importers of raw materials, with its companies being particularly dependent on the mining of minerals in other parts of the world. To secure a steady supply, the EU has on the one […]
Anchoring climate and environmental protection in EU trade agreements
How trade agreements could contribute to a more sustainable world economy In this study, Ciaran Cross takes on the task of thinking through what it would mean to integrate effective climate and environmental provisions in a trade agreement. The starting point for this exercise are existing trade agreements and WTO rules, which has the advantage […]
Supply chain due diligence: China’s role in the international debate and setting of standards
The debate on mandatory human rights supply chain due diligence is gaining momentum. Legal regulations are discussed extensively both at the international level as well as in Germany. In this debate, one country in particular is getting attention: China. According to some industry associations and symphatizing politicians, if Germany or the EU were to introduce […]
International regulatory cooperation and the public good
How “good regulatory practices” in trade agreements erode protections for the environment, public health, workers and consumers The EU's Trade Agreement with Canada (CETA) is the first EU agreement to include a comprehensive chapter on regulatory cooperation. Critical voices warn that regulatory cooperation is a gateway to deregulation and lowering environmental and consumer protection standards. […]
The Dark Side of Digitalization:
Will Industry 4.0 Create New Raw Materials Demands? The digitalization of production processes, in Germany also known as Industry 4.0, promises economic growth in times of stagnation. According to business organizations and market-liberal politicians, digitalization will provide solutions for current global challenges like economic stagnation, (youth) unemployment, post-financial crisis or climate change. From buildings and […]
Ruthless exploitation in the raw materials sector
How corporations are using the investment court system to enforce their interests On 14 October 2016, the Australian–Canadian mining business OceanaGold lost a USD 250 million lawsuit for compensation against El Salvador. The company had been seeking ‘redress’ for its past investments and lost profits. For several years, the Canadian concern Pacific Rim, which OceanaGold […]
The Unhealthy side effects of CETA
The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the European Union and Canada is the first trade agreement between the EU and a major world economy and the most far-reaching bilateral trade and investment agreement negotiated to date. In the context of increasingly expensive medicines, reduced access to healthcare and the burgeoning weight of chronic […]
Without responsibility and transparency
Human rights risks along the nickel supply chain Being one of the biggest export nations, Germany is strongly dependent on raw material imports. Nearly 100 percent of the metallic primary raw materials are imported from abroad and processed by German industry. The German raw material requirement has strongly increased over the past decades and according […]
We make the rules!
How the EU intervenes in the sovereign fiscal policy of resource-rich countries Raw materials, including raw materials for energy production, as well as semi-finished products, and components make up two thirds of all EU imports; more than half of these im-ports are transported to Germany. Germany’s status as ‘export world champion’ means that it relies […]