Will Dublin City Council services be at risk from CETA provisions?

Padraig Conlon 02 Mar 2021

Ahead of the referral of the vote on the controversial EU-Canada trade deal, CETA, to an Oireachtas committee, Dublin City Councillors have asked the Chief Executive to seek legal advice on the potential impact on DCC services and also urged government to postpone ratification.

At last night’s monthly City Council meeting an emergency motion tabled by the Independent Group was passed. The motion reads:

“That Dublin City Council calls on the Chief Executive to urgently seek legal advice on how the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and its Investment Court System will interfere with the rights and obligations of this local authority to deliver public services such as housing and environmental protection.

“That Dublin City Council call on the government to postpone the ratification until the Chief Executive receives this legal advice.”

Commenting on the passing of the motion, proposer Cllr. Sophie Nicoullaud said:

“I am delighted that my new colleagues have almost this motion as we are all of the belief that the implications of ratification of the remaining provisions of the agreement needs to be fully examined by legal experts – in particular the legal and financial implications of the “Investor Court System” being proposed”

“There may also be financial or legal implications for Dublin City Council services, in particular any planned new services or restoration of previous services (e.g. waste collection) provided or being implemented under any National Climate Change legislation.”

Group leader Cieran Perry also stressed the importance of finding out what effect the CETA agreement might have on City Council services.

“It is absolutely vital that both Dublin City Council and the Government are fully appraised and aware of the implications of the ratification of the remaining provisions of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), between Canada and the EU, and that the ratification is delayed until the full economic, legal and financial implications of the “Investor Court System” provisions of the agreement are fully researched, examined and reported on,” he said.

“We need to be assured that such ratification would in no way provide a right to multi-national corporations to sue the Irish State through this ‘Investor Court System’ over regulatory decisions that negatively impact their profits” he added.

“If ratification of the remaining provisions could in any way directly or indirectly have financial or legal implications for Dublin City Council’s services, including any planned new services, restoration of previous services provided or implementation of National Climate Change legislation in the City, then, as councillors, we have a right to know” he concluded.

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