All posts by Monique Goyens

The Micula case: When ISDS messes with EU law

The mooted Investor-State Arbitration System (ISDS) is one of the most controversial elements of the ongoing TTIP negotiations. Much to the surprise of negotiators, ISDS is one of the driving forces behind recent major public protests throughout Europe against TTIP....

/ October 27, 2014

How TTIP will affect consumers in the EU’s neighbouring countries

Much has been written about the potential impact of TTIP on consumers in the European Union. Beyond that, one cannot help but wonder how TTIP will affect the EU’s neighbouring countries and citizens. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are three countries...

/ October 3, 2014

How will TTIP affect the health of Europeans?

The ongoing public discussion in the UK as to whether their National Health Service will be affected by TTIP is a sign Europeans are increasingly worried about the extent to which their lives could be affected by this transatlantic deal....

/ September 11, 2014

Cosmetic products: What TTIP will not make up

On 16/04/2015 this blog post was updated to reflect the change in the number of banned substances used in cosmetics in EU from 1,328 to 1,377.  Cosmetic products have become an indispensable part of our daily routine – from toothpaste to...

/ August 8, 2014

TTIP & trust: Is the Commission backing the wrong horse?

Last week, we published a blog post on the impact of the European Court of Justice ruling on MEP Sophie in’t Veld’s case against the Council. The Court’s decisions clearly stated that access should be ensured to documents relating to...

/ July 30, 2014

What the recent ECJ ruling means for transparency in the TTIP negotiations

By BEUC’s Senior Legal Officer, Kostas Rossoglou Last week in Brussels, scores of EU and US officials held the 6th negotiating round of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership deal. Despite press conferences and civil society briefings the real substance...

/ July 24, 2014

What is wrong with chlorinated chicken

As the transatlantic trade deal negotiations increasingly make the headlines in newspapers, chlorinated chicken has emerged as a symbol of the detriments European consumers can face if the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) deal is signed. Though the thought...

/ July 14, 2014

ISDS: Too flawed to be fixed

When EU governments instructed the European Commission in June 2013 to start negotiating a free trade agreement (TTIP) with the United States, they requested provisions on investment protection and Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) be included in the agreement. Following heavy...

/ July 10, 2014

Why consumers should be at the heart of TTIP

It is clear that every aspect of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) has been designed to facilitate commercial activities between the world’s two largest economies, the EU and the US. The focus of this agreement is to reduce...

/ June 19, 2014

The European Commission: The importance of unbiased communication on TTIP  

The ongoing Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations are being conducted behind closed doors, with the public having no way of knowing what is at stake aside from officials’ statements. When it comes to informing citizens on the issues...

/ May 30, 2014