LOTIS Committee - Revision history

David: /* The Buxton-Brittan Link */

2007-04-20T20:25:31Z

The Buxton-Brittan Link

David at 12:58, 25 February 2007

2007-02-25T12:58:39Z

David at 12:57, 25 February 2007

2007-02-25T12:57:45Z

David: /* UK Government's support for GATS */

2006-06-25T09:38:55Z

UK Government's support for GATS

David: /* GATS */

2006-06-25T09:36:41Z

GATS

David: /* The Buxton-Brittan Link */

2006-05-30T12:59:21Z

The Buxton-Brittan Link

David: /* GATS */

2006-05-30T12:58:25Z

GATS

David: /* External links */

2006-04-22T16:56:08Z

External links

David: /* Notes */

2006-04-22T16:55:57Z

Notes

David: /* LOTIS Committee */

2006-04-22T16:53:31Z

LOTIS Committee

@@ Line 55: / Line 55: @@
 ==The Buxton-Brittan Link==
-The High-Level LOTIS Group was modelled on a very successful prototype. In the Spring of 1996, Andrew Buxton (Barclays Bank) and [[Ken Whipple]] ([[Ford Financial Services]]) has set up the so-called [[Financial Leaders Group]], comprising over forty Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of major banks, investment banks, insurance companies, and trade associations, predominantly from the EU and the US. The Financial Leaders Group (FLG) was to provide momentum to the deadlocked negotiations on a WTO Financial Services Agreement. The crucial role of the Financial Leaders Group in the WTO Financial Services negotiations, especially during the final phase in December 1997, has been widely recognised.
+The High-Level LOTIS Group was modelled on a very successful prototype. In the Spring of 1996, [[Andrew Buxton]] (Barclays Bank) and [[Ken Whipple]] ([[Ford Financial Services]]) has set up the so-called [[Financial Leaders Group]], comprising over forty Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of major banks, investment banks, insurance companies, and trade associations, predominantly from the EU and the US. The [[Financial Leaders Group]] (FLG) was to provide momentum to the deadlocked negotiations on a WTO Financial Services Agreement. The crucial role of the Financial Leaders Group in the WTO Financial Services negotiations, especially during the final phase in December 1997, has been widely recognised.
 EU Trade Commissioner Sir [[Leon Brittan]], who had been negotiating the WTO Financial Services Agreement on behalf of the European Union, was very excited by the Financial Leaders Group's role in bringing the WTO Financial Services negotiations to a successful conclusion. In 1998 he invited Andrew Buxton to create a similar structure, to involve European services industry leaders in (preparations for) the upcoming GATS 2000 services negotiations. The [[European Services Network]], consisting of a European Services Leaders Group and a working level Policy Committee, was launched at an official meeting hosted by the European Commission in Brussels, in January 1999.

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:58, 25 February 2007
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	The [[LOTIS Committee]] is a committee of the [[International Financial Services London]] lobby group.

	==Liberalisation of Trade in Services: Corporate Power at Work==		==Liberalisation of Trade in Services: Corporate Power at Work==

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:57, 25 February 2007
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	The United Kingdom is home to a particularly influential services industry lobby, which operates through an organisation called [[International Financial Services London]] (IFSL). Two IFSL working groups, the Liberalisation of Trade in Services (LOTIS) Committee and the [[High-Level LOTIS Group]], constitute a veritable corporate-state alliance.
−
−	~~==IFSL Contact Details==~~
−
−	~~IFSL~~
−	~~7th Floor~~
−	~~1-2 Bank Buildings~~
−	~~Princes Street~~
−	~~London, EC2R 8EU~~
−	~~United Kingdom~~
−
−	~~Tel: +44 (0)20 7213 9100~~
−	~~Fax: +44 (0)20 7213 9130~~
−	~~Http://www.bi.org.uk/~~
−
−	~~==International Financial Services London (IFSL)==~~
−	The IFSL claims to provide (through its LOTIS (Liberalisation Of Trade In Services) Committee) an effective interface between the private sector and government on a wide range of business, regulatory and market access issues. More specifically, the organisation claims to have close links with government departments, in particular HM Treasury, British Trade International, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The overall goal is to speed up liberalisation of trade in services, which is currently regulated by the [[General Agreement on Trade in Services]] (GATS). The growing economic importance of services, and the associated business opportunities this opens up, explains the UK government's support for GATS.

	==Liberalisation of Trade in Services: Corporate Power at Work==		==Liberalisation of Trade in Services: Corporate Power at Work==

@@ Line 51: / Line 51: @@
 The UK, as the world’s second largest exporter of trade in services, strongly supports the GATS negotiations. By convention, the European Commission acts as lead negotiator and speaks on behalf of EC Member States in the WTO on the basis of positions agreed with all EC Member States. Following the Inter-governmental Conference in Nice in December 2000, which will lead to a new Treaty of Nice after ratification by all Member States, the scope of the European Community’s common commercial policy is being extended to cover trade in services. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) claims the UK is playing an influential part in the development of the European Community's negotiating objectives and priorities.
-Lord [[Leon Brittan]] -former EU Trade Commissioner- has played a central role in the push for liberalisation of services. On 7 February 2001, Leon Brittan became Chairman of the LOTIS Committee of International Financial Services London (IFSL), a lobby group representing the UK financial industry. In his new position Lord Brittan was responsible for lobbying the European Commission on talks over liberalisation of services in the WTO (GATS 2000) that had just entered a second stage.
+Lord [[Leon Brittan]] -former EU Trade Commissioner- has played a central role in the push for liberalisation of services. On 7 February 2001, Leon Brittan became Chairman of the LOTIS Committee of [[International Financial Services London]] (IFSL), a lobby group representing the UK financial industry. In his new position Lord Brittan was responsible for lobbying the European Commission on talks over liberalisation of services in the WTO (GATS 2000) that had just entered a second stage.
 The LOTIS structures provide a private forum where government and business discuss strategies for ongoing WTO negotiations on liberalisation of trade in services. This allows the UK financial services industry an unjustified control over large parts of the UK trade policy agenda. While it is useful and justified for governments to take business concerns into account when formulating trade policy, privileged co-operative arrangements between business and government as embodied in IFSL/LOTIS do not belong in a truly democratic policy-making process.

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 GATSwatch.org brings you news and critical information on the GATS 2000 negotiations and the global campaign to 'Stop the GATS Attack.' Website: www.gatswatch.org/index.html
-Why the UK supports GATS Corporate Watch Newsletter, 26 November 2001 http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/news/UK_Government_Gats.html
+Why the UK supports GATS Corporate Watch Newsletter, 26 November 2001 [http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/news/UK_Government_Gats.html]
-    Frequently asked questions about GATS
+Frequently asked questions about GATS
-    Posed and answered by the UK Department of Trade and Industry.
+Posed and answered by the UK Department of Trade and Industry.
-    DTI website: www.dti.gov.uk/worldtrade/servicefaq.htm
+[http://www.dti.gov.uk/worldtrade/servicefaq.htm DTI website]
-    The LOTIS Committee is being described as 'an independent body' that invites Government officials 'as observers'. DTI also reassures that 'business groups are as important a lobby as NGO's'.
+The LOTIS Committee is described as 'an independent body' that invites Government officials 'as observers'. DTI also reassures that 'business groups are as important a lobby as NGO's'.
-    Brief responses to the arguments the Government formulates in defence of GATS.
+Brief responses to the arguments the Government formulates in defence of GATS.
-    University of Warwick website:
+[http://www.warwick.ac.uk/~csrdj/GATS/site/wdc/rebuttal.html University of Warwick website]
-    Organisations concerned about GATS
+Organisations concerned about GATS [http://www.warwick.ac.uk/~csrdj/GATS/site/wdc/ngo.html University of Warwick website]
 ==Liberalisation of trade in services==

@@ Line 74: / Line 74: @@
 ==The Buxton-Brittan Link==
-The High-Level LOTIS Group was modelled on a very successful prototype. In the Spring of 1996, Andrew Buxton (Barclays Bank) and [[Ken Whipple]] (Ford Financial Services) has set up the so-called Financial Leaders Group, comprising over forty Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of major banks, investment banks, insurance companies, and trade associations, predominantly from the EU and the US. The Financial Leaders Group (FLG) was to provide momentum to the deadlocked negotiations on a WTO Financial Services Agreement. The crucial role of the Financial Leaders Group in the WTO Financial Services negotiations, especially during the final phase in December 1997, has been widely recognised.
+The High-Level LOTIS Group was modelled on a very successful prototype. In the Spring of 1996, Andrew Buxton (Barclays Bank) and [[Ken Whipple]] ([[Ford Financial Services]]) has set up the so-called [[Financial Leaders Group]], comprising over forty Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of major banks, investment banks, insurance companies, and trade associations, predominantly from the EU and the US. The Financial Leaders Group (FLG) was to provide momentum to the deadlocked negotiations on a WTO Financial Services Agreement. The crucial role of the Financial Leaders Group in the WTO Financial Services negotiations, especially during the final phase in December 1997, has been widely recognised.
-EU Trade Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan, who had been negotiating the WTO Financial Services Agreement on behalf of the European Union, was very excited by the Financial Leaders Group's role in bringing the WTO Financial Services negotiations to a successful conclusion. In 1998 he invited Andrew Buxton to create a similar structure, to involve European services industry leaders in (preparations for) the upcoming GATS 2000 services negotiations. The European Services Network, consisting of a European Services Leaders Group and a working level Policy Committee, was launched at an official meeting hosted by the European Commission in Brussels, in January 1999.
+EU Trade Commissioner Sir [[Leon Brittan]], who had been negotiating the WTO Financial Services Agreement on behalf of the European Union, was very excited by the Financial Leaders Group's role in bringing the WTO Financial Services negotiations to a successful conclusion. In 1998 he invited Andrew Buxton to create a similar structure, to involve European services industry leaders in (preparations for) the upcoming GATS 2000 services negotiations. The [[European Services Network]], consisting of a European Services Leaders Group and a working level Policy Committee, was launched at an official meeting hosted by the European Commission in Brussels, in January 1999.
 All three high-level pressure groups, formed by Andrew Buxton - the Financial Leaders Group, the European Services Forum and the LOTIS Committee and High-Level LOTIS Group - worked closely together in the run-up to the 1999 Seattle WTO Ministerial Conference. In March 2001, it was announced that former EU Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan, now Lord Brittan of Spennithorne and vice-chairman of investment bank UBS Warburg, would succeed Andrew Buxton as chairman of the High-Level LOTIS Group. Eric Wesselius illustrates with various examples how -in the LOTIS Committee and High-Level LOTIS Group- relations between public and the private sector officials have become so close, that even insiders sometimes lose sight of the distinction between public servants and corporate lobbyists.

@@ Line 104: / Line 104: @@
 Gregory Pallast [http://www.corpwatch.org/issues/PID.jsp?articleid=722 The WTO's Hidden Agenda], CorpWatch 9 November 2001
-David Cromwell [www.medialens.org/articles/dc_public_threat.html The Public Threat to Private Power] MediaLens.
+David Cromwell [http://www.medialens.org/articles/dc_public_threat.html The Public Threat to Private Power] MediaLens.
 World Development Movement [http://www.wdm.org.uk/campaign/GATSlotis.htm WDM Campaign on GATS vindicated by uncovered minutes]
 ==Notes==

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:55, 22 April 2006
Line 100:		Line 100:

	*[[Nicholas Bayne]]		*[[Nicholas Bayne]]
		+
		+	==External links==
		+	Gregory Pallast [http://www.corpwatch.org/issues/PID.jsp?articleid=722 The WTO's Hidden Agenda], CorpWatch 9 November 2001
		+
		+	David Cromwell [www.medialens.org/articles/dc_public_threat.html The Public Threat to Private Power] MediaLens.
		+
		+	World Development Movement [http://www.wdm.org.uk/campaign/GATSlotis.htm WDM Campaign on GATS vindicated by uncovered minutes]

	==Notes==		==Notes==

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:53, 22 April 2006
Line 25:		Line 25:

	==LOTIS Committee==		==LOTIS Committee==
−
−	~~The WTO's Hidden Agenda~~
−	~~By Gregory Pallast~~
−	~~9 November 2001~~
−	~~CorpWatch website: www.corpwatch.org/issues/PID.jsp?articleid=722~~
−
−	~~The Public Threat to Private Power~~
−	~~By David Cromwell~~
−	~~This article highlights how the LOTIS Committee actively highlights anti-GATS campaigns.~~
−	~~MediaLens website: www.medialens.org/articles/dc_public_threat.html~~
−
−	~~WDM Campaign on GATS vindicated by uncovered minutes~~
−	~~World Development Movement (WDM) website: www.wdm.org.uk/campaign/GATSlotis.htm~~

	==GATS==		==GATS==