Position on draft conclusions on Transnational Corporate Agreements

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20 October 2011
Ceemet welcomes the Commission initiative to exchange information and views related to the relatively recent phenomenon of Transnational Corporate Agreements (TCAs), with different stakeholders and interested parties. However, it feels that the draft working paper presented by the Commission fails to reflect the fact that no common understanding of a TCA has so far existed.

Ceemet feels that the draft working paper presented by the Commission fails to reflect the fact that no common understanding of a TCA has so far existed.

Adding to the confusion, the working papers the Commission provided to the TCA expert group listed a mix of European and international framework texts, unilateral and bilateral measures, binding and non-binding declarations, recommendations, texts and agreements. The fact that TCAs differ from each other on these points are very important and in fact one of the most important features of them. Indeed very few TCAs seem to be intended to be legally binding documents. This adaptability is one of the reasons why companies sign them.