Freya Baetens on free trade agreement between European Union and Canada
The Dutch House of Representatives is deeply divided about the contested trade agreement between the European Union and Canada (Ceta). The economic figures are favourable in relation to Ceta, which has led to the removal of 98% of the import tariffs. Imports from and exports to Canada have both soared since the agreement took effect to a large extent in 2017.
These plus points, however, have not convinced opponents of the agreement. Their claim that States have already been flooded with legal disputes from investors is incorrect. Since the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) was set up in the 1960s, there have been around 600 rulings in disputes between an investor and a State, according to Freya Baetens, Associate Professor in European Law.
Read the full artikel in Financieele Dagblad in Dutch newspaper Financieel Dagblad, which deals with the difficulties and misconceptions surrounding this free trade agreement.