GATS
The WTO treaty concerning trade and investment sector (GATS) has
wide-reaching social and administrative consequences. Since 2000 this
treaty has been renegotiated in an undemocratic manner. NGO'S in the
North and South have been actively opposing the proposal, including the
proposal in the treaty for privatisation of public services.
SOMO wants to contribute to the public and political discussions regarding GATS in the North and South. As such it is engaging in the debate by doing research and coordinating cooperation by and with Southern partners. SOMO pays special attention to important trade sectors such as tourism, financial services (banks and insurers), energy distribution, supermarkets and health care.
News GATS
“Liberalisation limits regulation that stabilises financial markets”
19-09-2011
In the week that the WTO Public Forum discusses “Seeking answers to global trade challenges” and the G20 Finance and Development ministers meet in Washington, and also three years after the financial crisis erupted in full, re-regulating the financial sector is still on the agenda in many countries, regions and financial forums. However, free trade negotiations that liberalise financial services have continued to propagate deregulatory rules as it is business as usual. The light-touch regulation of the last decades has shifted within Europe to a more restricting regulation model – but this has not yet found solid ground in the EU position in on-going trade negotiations.
Business as usual
07-02-2011
In contrast with the current wide-ranging financial reform agenda in the European Union (EU), the EU continues to liberalise a wide range of risky and non-risky financial services in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and other Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) as if the financial crisis never happened. In a new SOMO publication SOMO identifies specific examples on how new EU regulations are in contrast with the pre-crisis model that is still being applied in the GATS negotiations, the Cariforum-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), and the EU-South Korea FTA.
The financial crisis does not justify a WTO deal
19-03-2009
Many political leaders of the G-20 have been calling for the conclusion of the ‘Doha Round’ negotiations in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as a solution to the financial crisis. However, they seem unaware of the implications of liberalisation and deregulation as negotiated in the agreement, especially in the financial sector.
