Trans-Pacific Partnership

The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (English Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership, short TPSEP ) or Trans-Pacific Partnership (English Trans - Pacific Partnership, short TPP) is a free trade agreement between the countries of Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore. The agreement was signed on 3 June 2005 and entered into force on 1 January 2006. After these four original signatories, the Pacific -4, it is also called the P4 Agreement (English P4 Agreement).

Target

The original aim of this agreement was the reduction of 90 percent of all tariffs between the four Member States on 1 January 2006. 2015 there should be no customs duty only more between the four states. The comprehensive agreement contains all the main pillars of a free trade agreement, such as the trade in goods, services, intellectual property, nations overarching procurement or free competition.

Members

  • Current TPP members
  • Countries with which negotiations are conducted Member / were

Through the formulation of an accession clause other States were given the opportunity to also join a member of the TPP. This has already been used in the case of Brunei and New Zealand, according to the Foreign Trade Minister Jim Sutton several states of APEC have already expressed interest. Nevertheless, in spite of several announcements so far no further States have acceded to the Convention.

Despite the cultural and geographical differences, there are some similarities between the four current Member States: All are relatively small ( less than 16 million inhabitants), are relatively highly developed and are official members of the Asia -Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ).

History

The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership was originally known as the Pacific Three Closer Economic Partnership ( P3- CEP). The first negotiations on the establishment of this trade area were started in 2002 at the APEC Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico by the Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, the Prime Minister of Singapore, Goh Chok Tong and the New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark. Brunei took only since the fifth round of talks in April 2005 fully participate in the negotiations.

In February 2008, the United States declared their interest to want to engage in discussions on the liberalization of trade in financial services with the TPP members, in September 2008 specified the U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab, a U.S. interest in negotiations with the four TPP countries, their first round in the spring of 2009, it was announced.

In November 2008, Australia, Vietnam and Peru announced its intention to join the TPP, in October 2010, Malaysia announced also to be in negotiations with TPP. Interest in membership was expressed also by Japan and the Philippines.

Due to the inauguration of Barack Obama in January 2009, accession negotiations were postponed with the U.S. first. In November 2009, however, Obama reiterated the U.S. interest in the Trans- Pacific Partnership. In December 2009, the new U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk told the Congress that Obama with the TPP would conduct negotiations with the aim of a " broad regional partnership."

Since this announcement, three rounds were held by negotiations. The first round took place in March 2010 in Melbourne, the second in June 2010 in San Francisco, and the third in October 2010 in Brunei.

Criticism and protests against TPP

According to the New Zealand Herald the secret negotiations in July 2012 in the 13th round. The U.S. is pushing to enforce a stricter copyright in the Asia -Pacific region. Judge David Harvey, who has ruled in the case of Megaupload, was critical to the United States. The usual in New Zealand bypass the DVD region code to play DVDs from the United States can, would then criminalized. Harvey comments on these submissions with the words. "We have met the enemy, and it is the U.S. "

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF ) criticized the TPP project was even more dangerous than ACTA for the media to self-determination of citizens and for the democracies.

On September 13, 2012, the global campaign network Avaaz calls for resistance against the treaty process called " Death Star ". It 'll go in the TPP to TPP Agreement threatens democracy, undermines national sovereignty, labor rights, environmental protection and the freedom of the Internet " plans that limit our governments to be legislate in the public interest. "; now more than one million online signatures were collected against the TPP project.

TPP Commission

Article 17 of the Agreement on the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (TPP Treaty), the Commission of the Trans- Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (Trans - Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Commission) was launched. The Commission is a regular discussion forum for the ministers of the TPP member countries. It meets at least once a year rotating basis in one of the Member States.

Functions of the Commission are:

  • Monitoring compliance with the rules of the TPP contract
  • The adoption of measures to increase trade between TPP members

To this end the Commission may establish working groups to prepare specific proposals.

Decisions under the Commission must always be taken unanimously.

Free trade area Office of the United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab Sean Penn Cher Susan Sarandon Russell Simmons Jennifer Hudson Charlize Theron Ellen DeGeneres Taiji (Wakayama) Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
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