Fair enough.
I want to turn an issue of the investor-state provision. On January 21, EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht announced his decision to consult the public on the investment provisions of a future EU-U.S. trade deal. I'm reading from the press release from the European Commission, which says:
It...reflects the Commissioner's determination to secure the right balance between protecting European investment interests and upholding governments' right to regulate in the public interest.... In early March, he will publish a proposed EU text for the investment part of the talks which will include sections on investment protection....
Quoting Mr. De Gucht, it said:
Governments must always be free to regulate so they can protect people and the environment...they must also find the right balance and treat investors fairly.... But some existing arrangements have caused problems in practice, allowing companies to exploit loopholes where the legal text has been vague. I know some people in Europe have genuine concerns about this part of the EU-US deal.... I have been tasked by the EU Member States to fix the problems that exist in current investment arrangements and I'm determined to make the investment protection system more transparent and impartial, and to close these...loopholes once and for all. TTIP will firmly uphold EU member states' right to regulate in the public interest.
I have two questions.
First, is it your understanding that the investor-state provision in CETA conforms to those concerns?