English + Spanish subtitles for TV documentary on ISDS investment arbitration

November 27, 2015

In October, the first German public TV channel broadcast a pretty good 45 minute documentary on the investor-state dispute settlement system (ISDS), in TTIP and elsewhere: “Konzerne klagen – wir zahlen”.

The film goes in depth into the cases of energy giant Vattenfall vs. Germany, Bilcon against Canada as well as the numerous cases of solar investors against Spain. It includes strong statements from people from the arbitration industry, politicians, NGO activists as well as academics.

CEO and TNI have now subtitled the video in English and Spanish (you have to activate the subtitles yourselves):

Some quotes from the movie can be found below, to give you an impression.

“It’s been a bonanza for the legal industry, that’s growing up around this treaties and it’s ultimate, it only exists, because at some point everyone expects: The public will have to pay.”
-Gus van Harten, Professor for International Law

“We do see people essentially speculating on the outcomes of corporate attacks on governments.“
-Ben Beachy, Sierra Club

“The moment in which those standards as fair and equitable treatment have been applied in an extensive way, meaning that any legislative change which impairs or which brings with it as a consequence that a certain expected investment is not longer going to be possible – this is in my eyes a perversion of the system.“
-José-Maria Beneyto, Professor for international law