Agenda item

This report presents information on the implications of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.  The report is in response to the motion submitted by Councillor D’Agorne to Full Council on 24 March 2016 and Council’s decision to refer the motion to Corporate and Scrutiny Management Policy and Scrutiny Committee for further consideration.

[See also Part B minute]

Members considered a report which presented information on the implications of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).  The report was in response to the motion submitted by Councillor D’Agorne to Full Council on 24 March 2016, and Council’s decision to refer the motion to Corporate and Scrutiny Management Policy and Scrutiny Committee for further consideration.   The wording of the motion was detailed in paragraphs 4 to 7 of the report.

Members considered the following options:

(i)           Agree not to proceed any further with the motion in light of the potential resource implications (as outlined in paragraph 27 of the report) and the assessment of the impact of undertaking a review set out in the report.

(ii)          Agree to proceed with a specific review and remit to be identified; or

(iii)        Propose an alternative way forward.

The Chair asked Members to consider how best the motion should be dealt with, rather than considering issues in respect of TTIP itself at this stage.

Councillor D’Agorne outlined a proposed way forward whereby part of the motion would be referred directly back to Full Council for consideration at the meeting in July 2016 but arrangements could also be put in place to allow a cross-party scrutiny of the more local implications.

Acknowledging the concerns that had been raised by speakers under the Public Participation item on the agenda, Councillor Galvin moved, and Councillor Flinders seconded, a motion that the committee write to Ministers requesting that the views that had been expressed be taken into consideration but that no further action be taken beyond this.

On being put to the vote the motion fell.

Councillor Levene then moved and Councillor Williams seconded that the following recommendation be referred back to Council:

“Council notes that:

·        The European Union (EU) and the USA launched negotiations in July 2013 on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP);

·        Negotiations continue, seeking to protect international investors, harmonise standards, reduce tariffs and open new markets throughout the EU and USA;

·        Services within TTIP includes not just private but also public services;

·        There has been no assessment of the potential impact on local authorities and their services;

·        There has been no scrutiny or consultation with City of York Council or other local government representatives such as the Local Government Association (LGA) and our local MPs for York Central or York Outer are also unable to scrutinise the negotiating documents;

·        Our twin municipality of Munster in Germany passed a resolution in 2014 to reject TTIP;

·        Our twin municipality of Dijon in France passed a resolution in 2014 to ask for the full involvement of local authorities in free trade negotiations and public disclosure of all texts on the TTIP negotiations.

Council believes that:

·        TTIP could have a significant impact on local services, employment, suppliers and decision-making;

·        A thorough impact assessment of TTIP on local authorities must be carried out before the negotiations can be concluded;

·        The proposed Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism has been used by corporations to overturn democratic decisions by all levels of governments at significant public cost.  Local decision-making must be protected from ISDS;

·        The EU’s food, environmental and labour standards are better than those in the US and TTIP negotiations must raise and not lower these standards across the EU and USA;

·        Sourcing supplies and employment locally is important to strengthening local economies and meeting local needs.  TTIP must not impact on local authorities’ ability to act in the best interests of their communities.

Council resolves:

That appropriate officers report to the Executive analysing the potential impact of TTIP upon the Council and its services, with a view to:

Writing to the Secretary of State for the Environment and Local Government, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the MPs for York Central and York Outer and all Yorkshire and the Humber MEPs, as well as the Local Government Association, raising the serious concerns of the City of York Council about the potential impact of TTIP on our local authority and the secrecy of the negotiating process”

On being put to the vote the motion was declared carried.

Members were then asked to consider whether more detailed policy analysis should be carried out in relation to the remainder of the motion and whether there was a role for scrutiny in this process.  It was suggested that there may be an opportunity to consider this as part of the One Planet York Strategy.

Councillor Levene moved, and Councillor Williams seconded, a motion that at the next meeting, as part of the committee’s consideration of their annual work, information be received on the One Planet York Strategy and as a result further consideration be given to whether ongoing developments with that strategy could assist in addressing any of the implications associated with the wider elements of the TTIP motion, as set out in part (ii) of the motion below: 

“That any report to the Executive addresses the feasibility of and resource implications associated with:

·        Calling for a full assessment of the impact of TTIP on local authorities;

·        Joining with other local authorities that are opposed to TTIP across Europe and work with local campaigners to raise awareness about the potential impact of TTIP;

·        Developing local supply chains and business networks through better advertising and promotion of what local companies can provide;

·        Reviewing the council’s own procurement policies to promote as much as possible the take up of locally produced and fair trade food;

·        Enhancing the support to York’s diversity of small, independent and locally based shops;

·        Developing a Local Food Strategy for York in conjunction with the health service and producer groups in our region (including the promotion of local supply chains and networks, support for producers and feasibility studies for increasing the local production of high quality healthy food in the region).”

On being put to the vote that motion was declared carried.

Resolved:  That further consideration be given to how scrutiny could contribute to furthering part (ii) of the motion as set out above, having received an update on One Planet York at the next meeting of this Committee, under its future work plan.

Reason:     To ensure that the motion referred to the committee by Full Council has been given due consideration.