By Manlio Masucci<\/p>\n
CETA: HERE\u2019S HOW U.S. MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS WOULD OBTAIN THE SAME PRIVILEGES AS IN THE TTIP. <\/strong>THE CASE OF GLYPHOSATE AND ITALIAN PASTA<\/strong><\/p>\n Written \u2018CETA\u2019 \u2013 Spelled \u2018TTIP\u2019<\/p>\n According to the latest report from the Transnational Institute (Tni), the free-trade agreement between the European Union and Canada would open the door to 42000 American and affiliated Canadian firms, including agrifood giants such as Coca Cola, McDonald, Cargill and ConAgra foods. In fact, 81% of American firms operating in Europe meet the requirements to be deemed \u201cCanadian investors\u201d. The presence of the Isds\/Ics provision within the Ceta agreement would therefore allow a large number of American firms to sue national governments in private arbitration courts to demand for compensation, in case of regulations and national laws getting in the way of their interests. The dossier stresses the fact that it\u2019s the multinationals themselves, by now used to using such an instrument aggressively, who have reached the point of inhibiting legislators who, out of fear of being sued, are often prompted not to introduce legislations that might not sit well with powerful multinationals. As such, Ceta would privilege investors by limiting democratically elected governments\u2019 ability to act in their citizens\u2019 interest. The Stop Ttip Italy Campaign organized a protest in front of the Italian Parliament<\/a> in Rome specifically in order to denounce Ceta.<\/p>\n