'TTIP agreement is an attack on people, society and environment in both Europe and the US'

[Alated]

TTIP agreement is an attack on people society and environment in both Europe and the US RT Op-Edge

"In TTIP talks the US and the EU are working on behalf of big businesses trying to attack the most prized social and environmental standards that people have fought for years to uphold and develop, executive director of War on Want John Hilary told RT.

RT: Italy has written to its EU partners calling for the details of talks on the vast trade deal with the United States to be made public. What do you think about this initiative?

John Hilary: I think it is a very important initiative on the part of Italy because we have been told that the details of the EU-US trade deal are completely secret. They have put a 30-year ban on all the key documents that we would like to see to really open up the heart of these negotiations. The main [thing] what Italy is calling for here is absolutely right: there needs to be a great deal of transparency to shed light on that moment, to the completely secret negotiations. The problem really is though that Italy is only asking for a particular piece of information to be made public, which actually has been leaked many months ago. So in a way they are trying to deal with something which is no longer an issue. The key documents that we need to see are the US documents, which are completely and utterly barred to all members of the public.

RT: Why are they unwilling to reveal details?"

 

[feduptaxpayer]

TTIP agreement is an attack on people society and environment in both Europe and the US RT Op-Edge

"In TTIP talks the US and the EU are working on behalf of big businesses trying to attack the most prized social and environmental standards that people have fought for years to uphold and develop, executive director of War on Want John Hilary told RT.

RT: Italy has written to its EU partners calling for the details of talks on the vast trade deal with the United States to be made public. What do you think about this initiative?

John Hilary: I think it is a very important initiative on the part of Italy because we have been told that the details of the EU-US trade deal are completely secret. They have put a 30-year ban on all the key documents that we would like to see to really open up the heart of these negotiations. The main [thing] what Italy is calling for here is absolutely right: there needs to be a great deal of transparency to shed light on that moment, to the completely secret negotiations. The problem really is though that Italy is only asking for a particular piece of information to be made public, which actually has been leaked many months ago. So in a way they are trying to deal with something which is no longer an issue. The key documents that we need to see are the US documents, which are completely and utterly barred to all members of the public.

RT: Why are they unwilling to reveal details?"

(X)Nothing to hide? Then why all the secrecy. Corporations, a threat to freedom loving people. Obviously, there are no freedom loving members here? The silence is deafining.

 

[Alated]

(X)Nothing to hide? Then why all the secrecy. Corporations, a threat to freedom loving people. Obviously, there are no freedom loving members here? The silence is deafining. [/QUOTE]

Excellent point, it would seem some should wish to share ideas on how to deal with it.

 

[waltky]

EU suspects it's bein' snookered...

TTIP trade talks 'likely to stop', warns French minister
3 May 2016 - Talks between the US and EU over the wide-ranging TTIP trade deal are likely to grind to a halt, according to France's trade minister.

Matthias Fekl said a freeze in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks was the "most likely option" without a change from the US. The French minister, who threatened to leave talks last year, said Europe was offering a lot with little in return. It comes a day after Greenpeace leaked documents from the talks. The environmental group released 248 pages of classified documents, which it said showed how EU standards on public health risked being undermined by the major free-trade agreement.

'Bad deal'

Mr Fekl, the French minister for foreign trade, said a halt seemed to be the most likely option "in view of the United States' state of mind today". "It is an agreement which, as it would be today, would be a bad deal," he said in a French radio interview. TTIP could "unravel" the international climate change deal agreed in Paris last year, he warned. France is also concerned TTIP does not offer safeguards for French agriculture or better access for its small and medium-sized companies in the US, he said. "It cannot be agreed without France and even less so against France," he said. In September, Mr Fekl said France was considering all options including an outright termination of negotiations.

Exports

The latest TTIP negotiating round took place last week and the European Commission says it hopes to achieve a deal later this year. That could avoid any political risk posed by the US presidential election in November. TTIP, which must be approved by all 28 EU countries, would harmonise regulations across a huge range of business sectors, potentially providing a boost to exporters on both sides of the Atlantic. The potential gains for the EU could be up to €119bn (£94bn; $137bn) a year and €95bn for the US, according to European economic think tank, the Centre for Economic Policy Research. However, campaigners have warned that it favours big business and would lead to weaker regulation.

TTIP trade talks 'likely to stop', warns French minister - BBC News