TTIP – The Trade Deal Being Kept In The Shadows

Posted 8 years ago

Furthering the NHS privatization agenda.

Lowering the UK food regulation standards to match the significantly worse standards of the US.

Loosening the bank regulations that were put in place to protect the public following the recent recession.

These are some of the frightening consequences of the TTIP agreement that is currently brewing between the US and Europe. Let us also not forget that since a document leak in March 2014, TTIP’s terms have been deem classified from the public. How should an agreement that is so profound in its impact on the people be kept secret from them? TTIP is emerging as a stain to the democratic values that Western countries supposedly champion.

We got in touch with one of our Summat workshop facilitators, Maia Kelly from ‘Leeds against TTIP’ to learn more about the shady agreement, and how we can tackle it.

Q. The EU referendum has created a huge stir of interest regarding Britain’s relationship with Europe. How will the result of the EU referendum affect TTIP?

A. Great question! For a start, it’s already affecting the process of authorization for CETA (the Canada-Europe trade deal) a sister Treaty to TTIP. Trade deals generally have to go through the Council of Ministers, the EU Parliament and National Parliaments before they can be enacted. However, the European Commission is refusing to say whether CETA will go to National Parliaments until after the UKs referendum. They fear that the UK may decide to leave the EU based on this information. As campaigners, we want the deal to be discussed in National Parliaments, so that our democratically accountable MPs to have a say. The more stages of ratification that the deals go through, the more opportunities we have to lobby against them.

Secondly, the undemocratic legal mechanisms in these treaties might still come our way even if we leave the EU. New era trade deals are opposed by the right and the left. Those on the right; favour deregulation, but are against the deals because the EU is negotiating on Britain’s behalf. Some out-camp Tories have also stated that enabling the UK to sign its own trade deals is one of the objectives of the Brexit, in order to cut loose from protectionist EU governments who are influencing the content of the trade deals. Therefore, our current government might still decide to seek its own bilateral trade agreement with the US once outside of Europe. Leaving the EU won’t necessarily mean the UK is immune to the worst parts of these trade deals.

Q. There are many people who are against TTIP, yet it is difficult to become engaged with an issue that, on face-value, appears to be entirely out of our hands. What advice would you offer to those who oppose TTIP, but feel powerless to stop it?

A. Often it feels like an impossible task battling against such a rigged system. However, we shouldn’t forget that we are part of an incredible global movement that’s achieved some unimaginable wins. These are just a few of many big successes regarding unjust trade agreements, which are a testimony to the impact of people-power.

  1. Activists have successfully stopped unfair trade deals many times in the past, for instance ACTA in 2011 and the MAI in the 1990’s.
  2. The European Citizens Initiative (the anti-TTIP petition) closed with 3 million signatures – triple the amount that was needed, and was the fastest ever ECI ever to be completed.
  3. There is also hope of defeating the deals in the EU Parliament. Parties in Greece, Portugal, Slovenia, Austria, Belgium, France, Spain and Ireland are strongly against the deals.
  4. The French Government and The Austrian Social and Democrat group in EU Parliament have also said they won’t agree to  CETA deal, a trade agreement with Canada that upholds similar terms as TTIP
  5. Currently 436 MEPs in the EU Parliament are in favour of CETA going through, vs. 285 against. So to get a majority against, we need only 75 to switch position.
  6. Then there is also the success of the TTIP Free Zone Movement…

Q. What exactly is the TTIP Free Zone Movement, and how can residents of Leeds get involved in it?

A. The next wave of resistance is in the form of TTIP and CETA Free Zones. To become a TTIP Free Zone, local authorities must pass a motion declaring the municipality, village, town, city, or region a TTIP and CETA Free Zone. This is a symbolic statement of opposition, particularly to the negative impact these deals will have on local democracy. Obviously local authorities can’t opt out of the deals – but they can influence the vote. On the 21st to the 22nd of April The Mayor of Barcelona has called for a Conference of Councillors and Mayors – to work out an authority-level strategy of resistance. In the UK we now have nearly 38 TTIP CETA Free cities. In Austria and Germany there are 320, in France there are 600, and across the whole EU there are over 1500.

We have presented a Deputation to the Leeds City Council, asking them to declare Leeds a TTIP Free Zone. In their response, they agreed that TTIP could be a threat to local contracts and the NHS, but decided not to declare their position on TTIP until the final text is published. However we’ve said this isn’t good enough. We argue that there is both evidence and urgency to at the very least become a CETA Free Zone (for now). If you agree, please send us your full name and address to leedsagainstttip@gmail.com, and we can add you as a signatory in our letter to the Leader of the Council, Judith Blake.

Leeds Against TTIP will be joining us at the Leeds Summat 2016 to hold a workshop and shed some much needed light on this issue. The Summat will take place on the 23rd of April at the University of Leeds – we’re looking forward to seeing you all there!