On 17 October 2023, Dr Leonelli was invited to give oral evidence to the House of Lords International Agreements Committee regarding the UK accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). She had previously submitted written evidence to the Committee on the implications of accession to CPTPP for UK levels of public health and environmental protection.
The oral evidence session was livestreamed on parliamentlive.tv and the video is available here.
Throughout the oral evidence session, Dr Leonelli provided insights into problematic aspects in the CPTPP Chapter on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. She highlighted that UK regulators may be pressured into lowering UK food safety standards and adhering to a non-precautionary approach to risk regulation. She also examined the Environment Chapter of CPTPP and assessed the environmental implications of trade liberalisation of specific categories of goods. Further, she discussed investor-state dispute settlement under CPTPP and the risk of regulatory chill in the fields of environmental and climate change mitigation law.
You can watch the video of the oral evidence session here or view Dr Leonelli's individual responses below:
16.04.08 to 16.07.44 – Dr Leonelli answering a question by the Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town and discussing the terms of UK accession to CPTPP, whether the UK achieved the objectives that it had set out, and what concessions it had to make.
16.20.14 to 16.24.24 – Dr Leonelli answering a question by the Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town and analysing the unambitious nature of the clauses in the Environment Chapter of CPTPP.
16.36.30 to 16.49.11 – Dr Leonelli answering questions by the Lord Grimstone of Boscobel and the Lord Kerr of Kinlochard GCMG and discussing the problems associated with the CPTPP Chapter on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and relevant risks for UK levels of food safety.
16.49.11 to 16.53.16 – Dr Leonelli answering a question by the Lord Watts and examining the implications of trade liberalisation of specific categories of goods under CPTPP.
16.55.10 to 17.01.55 – Dr Leonelli answering a question by the Lord Marland and discussing investor-state dispute settlement under CPTPP.