At the beginning of 2012, 20 WTO members (the EU counted as one), calling themselves "The Really Good Friends of Services" (RGF), launched secret unofficial talks towards drafting a treaty that would further liberalise trade and investment in services, and expend "regulatory disciplines" on all sectors, including many public services.
The “disciplines,” or treaty rules, would provide all foreign providers access to domestic markets at “no less favourable” conditions as domestic suppliers and would restrict governments’ ability to regulate, purchase and provide services. This would essentially change the regulation of many public and privatised or commercial services from serving the public interest to serving the profit interests of private, foreign corporations.
In denouncing the Trade in Services Agreement, PSI, together with civil society organisations throughout the world states "strong regulation of and oversight over both public and private services is crucial for democracy, the public interest and development,as well as for the orderly functioning of the services market. We fear that all of these values and goals would be seriously undermined by this proposed TISA."
The negotiations will impact on everyone - big and small.
Related links
PSI denounces Trade in Services Agreement
Why trade agreements are a new global threat to public services
