Dr. John Reynolds authors report for Irish Cancer Society on ‘TTIP, ISDS and the Implications for Irish Public Health Policy’
A new study commissioned by the Irish Cancer Society on the implications of the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Agreement (TTIP) for public health policy in Ireland was launched last week. The report was written by Dr. Reynolds, Maynooth University Department of Law, along with Dr. Josh Curtis, research fellow at the London School of Economics. The study concludes that there are significant potential social costs associated with the proposed TTIP. The Irish Cancer Society has serious concerns about the particular threats posed by TTIP to the State’s legislative and regulatory freedoms in the public health sphere. Such threats relate to issues such as the introduction of plain packaging laws for tobacco, pharmaceutical patents and access to generic medicines, and the regulation of health services and the health insurance market. Ireland’s ability to legislate and regulate in the public interest will be undermined by TTIP’s proposed investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) process, and by its reduction and removal of regulations which are seen as ‘non-tariff barriers’ to trade. The report makes a number of detailed recommendations for the European Union institutions, the Irish government and civil society, aimed at protecting against such threats to democratic control over social policy. Further information is available on the Irish Cancer Society’s website, which includes links to the study’s executive summary and full report.
Dr. Reynolds also spoke about the issue on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, which can be listened to here.