Brussels , 28 May 2015 – The European Parliament committee for international trade failed European citizens and the environment in a crucial vote on a proposed resolution on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, Friends of the Earth Europe has claimed. The draft resolution – which is to be debated in plenary on 10 June – is the unique opportunity for the European Parliament to give its opinion on the on-going trade talks between the EU and the US.
Friends of the Earth Europe condemned the outcome of the vote as a weak resolution failing to draw clear red lines on some of the biggest dangers of the proposed trade deal. There has been growing public outcry at the ongoing negotiations [1].
Natacha Cingotti, trade campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe said: “The European Parliament trade committee turned its back on European citizens today, by failing to take a clear stance against the on-going transatlantic trade negotiations. Strong public concerns on key aspects of the talks, such as the planned inclusion of an investor-state dispute settlement mechanism, or attacks on legislators’ ability to regulate in the public interest through regulatory cooperation, have only been partially acknowledged.â€
The TTIP negotiations have been described as a Trojan horse for powerful corporate interests, which are already using the talks to weaken and delay upcoming European legislation in the public interest [2]. In particular, the planned inclusion of provisions such as investor-state dispute settlement [3] or permanent regulatory cooperation would greatly empower industry lobby groups, while dangerously limiting the ability of legislators to regulate in key areas of citizens’ everyday life – from the banning of toxic chemicals to financial regulation, or measures to prevent climate change.
Natacha Cingotti continued: “We call on the plenary of the European Parliament to oppose this Trojan horse treaty by rejecting the resolution. MEPs should stand with European citizens, not with the corporate-led agenda of the transatlantic negotiations that are a threat to our societies and our environment.â€
Resistance against TTIP has grown rapidly across Europe in recent months. More than 1.5 million people have signed a self-organised European Citizens’ Initiative calling on EU decision-makers to stop the TTIP negotiations and to not ratify the EU-Canada trade deal (CETA), and no less than 97% of the respondents to the European Commission’s own consultation on investor-state dispute settlement have rejected special rights for investors.
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For more information, please contact:
Natacha Cingotti, trade campaigner, +32 2 893 1023 or natacha.cingotti@foeeurope.org
John Hyland, communications officer, +32 2 893 1012 or john.hyland@foeeurope.org
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Notes to the Editor:
[1] https://stop-ttip.org/?
http://www.foeeurope.org/MEPs-
[2] http://corporateeurope.org/
http://www.pan-europe.info/
http://www.foeeurope.org/
[3] http://www.foeeurope.org/eu-
