Transatlantic free trade agreement

A free ride for rip-off artists?

ZDF-Frontal Magazine article (2016)

The Canadian mining company Gabriel Resources is taking Romania to the World Bank’s Court for Arbitration. The case concerns gold in Transylvania, which the company wants to mine with toxic cyanide, resulting in toxic slag reservoirs. After Romanian courts banned the project on environmental grounds, Gabriel Resources is now allegedly demanding up to four billion dollars in compensation. Lawsuits such as these are causing massive protests against the EU’s free trade agreements with Canada (CETA) and the USA (TTIP). The fear is that companies and investors could sue countries whose policies they don’t like and make a fortune. Who is actually behind the lawsuit against Romania?

Author: Peter Kreysler, Kersten Schüßler

camera: Ulf Behrens

Editing: Rainer Speidel

Editors: Christian Rohde (ZDF)