Finland wants ISDS in TTIP, ‘important safeguard for our companies’ underlines Finnish Trade Minister

Lenita Toivakka, the Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade of Finland, joins Lénaïc Vaudin d’Imécourt on viEUws to discuss Finland’s position on the controversial ISDS mechanism in TTIP, the EU-US trade deal (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership).

The exclusion of ISDS is unlikely according to the Finnish Minister, as the negotiators are required to “respect the mandate that EU Member States have given” them. However, she acknowledges the need to allay the public’s concerns about TTIP and especially ISDS. Toivakka believes that TTIP would send a “good message to Finnish companies to go abroad.” This fits with Finland’s ultimate objective of gaining access to American markets for Finnish “goods, expertise and services” the Minister explains.

ISDS is a “good message to Finnish companies to go abroad” argues the Finnish Trade Minister