TiSA

TiSA - Trade in Services Agreement

Related negotiations

• ACTA - Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
• CETA - Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
• GATS - General Agreement on Trade in Services
• TAFTA - Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)
• TiSA - Trade In Services Agreement
• TRIPS - Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.
• Rounds of International Negotiations:
  • Uruguay Round
  • Doha Round also known as Doha Development Agenda (DDA) - official page
• ...

This agreement has been formally in negotations since early 2013 between the European Union and twenty one other countries. It is basically a free-trade agreement but only concerns trade in services. It is closely related to GATS and in particular seems to address questions that are related to personal data. The European Commission ran a consultation on it in 2013 [1]. It continues the stalled negotiations begun within the Doha Round (launched 2001).

TiSA negotiations will cover all services sectors, aiming to develop new trade rules. In particular:

• financial services
• ICT services (including telecommunications and e-commerce)
• professional services; maritime transport services;
• air transport services, competitive delivery services;
• energy services; temporary entry of business persons;
• government procurement;
• and new rules on domestic regulation to ensure regulatory settings do not operate as a barrier to trade in services.

"This future trade in services agreement should be based on the General Agreement on Trade in Services ("GATS"), and is meant to advance the stalled multilateral negotiations carried out under the umbrella of the World Trade Organisation ("WTO") with those countries that are willing to continue negotiations on trade in services."

Timeline

• 28 April - 2 May 2014 : round of Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) negotiations in Geneva
• 17-24 February 2014: fifth round. Chaired by EU.
• 4–8 November 2013: Fourth Round. Chaired by USA.
• 16–20 September 2013: Third Round. Chaired by Australia.
• 4 July 2013: The European Parliament adopted the European Commission's negotiating mandate
• 24–28 June 2013: Second Round. Chaired by EU.
• 27 April – 3 May 2013 First Round. Chaired by USA.
• 18 March 2013: The Council of the EU adopted the European Commission's negotiating mandate
• 15 February 2013: European Commission's negotiation proposition
• Since February 2012, "discussions in Geneva among a subset of WTO Members interested in progressing services trade liberalisation. In July 2012, parties released a joint statement outlining steps towards the negotiation of a comprehensive services-only trade agreement. In December 2012, parties agreed a Framework for Negotiations on a Trade in Services Agreement. The Framework detailed parties objectives and the proposed structure for the agreement and was the basis for seeking agreement to commence negotiations in 2013."

(source: http://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/services/trade-in-services-agreement.html)

Relevant articles/news/organisations/government websites

• EU TiSA position papers - July 2014
• Leak via Wikileaks Financial Services Annex Consolidated Text - April 14, 2014 - see article X.8 and X.11 on data flows and data processing
• Glyn Moody's article - 29 April 2014
• [FR] Contre La Cours (blog) L’Accord sur le commerce des services (TISA) : l’autre traité que l’Union européenne négocie avec les Etats-Unis - 28 April 2014
• Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website on TiSA.
• Press release - EU to chair plurilateral talks to open services markets European Commission - IP/14/153 17/02/2014
• Public Services International (PSI) webportal on TiSA
  • Special Report: TISA versus Public Services
  • Rapport spécial de la PSI :l'ACS contre les services publics
• Twitter, hashtag #TiSA
• Coalition of Service Industries CSI.
• US Chamber of Commerce on TiSA
• L’Accord sur le commerce des services (TISA) : l’autre traité que l’Union européenne négocie avec les Etats-Unis