Abstract: Until recently, the issue of ratification of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) had not created any significant problems in the EU. However now, not only is there a strong civil society debate and extreme criticism of CETA and TTIP negotiations, but also Member State Parliaments have become partly opposed to new FTAs. For example, in the past only the legislative bodies of the Member States were a part of the ratification debate but now domestic courts are increasingly involved in the issue and are attempting to shape the national and European policies. Accordingly, this presentation will discuss these new developments and try to explain the difficulties of multilevel governance within the EU as related to FTAs.

Speaker Biography: Marc Bungenberg is Director of the Europa-Institut and a professor of public law, European law and public international law at Saarland University in Germany, permanent visiting professor at the University of Lausanne/Switzerland and member of the scientific advisory board to the International Investment Law Centre in Cologne. He is a member of several associations, including the International Law Association, German Association for International Law and the German Society of International Law. Marc received his doctorate in law from the University of Hannover and wrote his habilitation treatise at the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, where he received his venia legendi for Public Law, European Law, Public International Law, and International Economic Law. His main fields of research are European (Common Commercial Policy, public procurement and state aid law) and international economic law, particularly international investment and WTO law.