Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
RCEP negotiations are progressing slowly and are expected to continue throughout most of 2017.Leaked documents have confirmed that Japan and Korea are the main proponents of TPP-like proposals on medicines and ISDS in the RCEP. It’s expected that these proposals will be discussed at the next negotiating round in Japan in late February. Australia's policy on these issues is not clear. We will be campaigning against the inclusion of damaging TPP proposals in the RCEP throughout next year.Take action: Help raise awareness of the RCEP by sharing our explainer Is the RCEP the TPP by another name? on social media.
Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA): no agreement in 2016 The TISA Ministerial meeting intending to finalise negotiations was cancelled in December. This followed protests in Europe and concerns expressed by the EU parliament about data privacy and differences between the EU and US about market access and the regulation of new services. There is also uncertainty about the US commitment to negotiations following the election of Donald Trump. However, talks are continuing and an agreement could be reached early next year. AFTINET will be publishing more on TiSA and the need for governments to retain the ability to regulate services in the new year. In the meantime, you can find out more about the negotiations and key issues here.
Advice from AFTINET - Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (AFTINET)
128 Chalmers Street, Surry Hills, NSW, Australia 2010
Phone +612 9699 3686 |fax +612 96993717 campaign@aftinet.org.au
www.aftinet.org.au
