TTIP, ISDS and the implications for Irish public health policy : a report for the Irish Cancer Society

Abstract

Free trade agreements and investment treaties have the stated aims of promoting economic activity and growth through increased global trade and investment flows. The presumption that broader societal benefits - such as improved population health - will trickle down from such market liberalisation is increasingly called into question by deepening levels of social and economic inequality around the world. Against this backdrop, the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) has generated concern as to its potential effects on public health policy and standards. The present study seeks to build on and deepen the existing research and analysis in this regard, with the specific purpose of clarifying and evaluating TTIP’s implications on health policy in Ireland.