Agenda item

[See also Part A 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.

Further consideration was given as to how to deal with part (ii) of the motion (minute 56 refers).

Recommended:  That Council be asked to reconsider part (i) of the

                           motion detailed above in italics.

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