EU-US trade agreement (TTIP)

Brussels, 18 February 2014

Commenting on the ongoing stocktaking meeting between EU trade commissioner Karel de Gucht and US trade representative Michael Froman on the EU-US trade negotiations (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), Green trade policy spokesperson Yannick Jadot stated:

"Instead of blindly pushing ahead with backdoor negotiations on this potentially far-reaching agreement, the Commission should be heeding the growing opposition from civil society and the public to TTIP. If the Commission was truly looking to 'take stock' of the situation, it would be proposing the suspension of the negotiations.

"A transatlantic partnership implies a relationship based on mutual trust, respect and shared values. However, the NSA surveillance scandal has revealed that US authorities have treated European governments and citizens as if they were enemies. It is impossible to see how negotiations on a transatlantic partnership can continue in good faith against this backdrop.

"There are real concerns that TTIP could threaten core EU standards and rules, whether as regards the protection of public services, intellectual property, food safety, GMOs, geographical indications, health or environmental standards. The prospective investor-state dispute settlement mechanism (ISDS) is a massive Trojan horse, which could be used by multinational corporations to whittle away EU standards and regulations across a range of policy areas. These concerns are only amplified by the lack of transparency in the negotiations. For all these reasons, the Greens believe it is high time the TTIP process was brought to a halt."