World Development Movement. April 2014
“Negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the EU and USA began in July 2013. If agreed, it would be the world’s biggest trade and investment deal outside of those negotiated within the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The deal will reduce tariffs (taxes on imports and exports), but the major focus is likely to be on reducing ‘non-tariff barriers to trade’, which is the part that has elicited most concern from trade unions, and social justice campaigners. This could mean making it easier for multinationals to sue governments and the slashing of environmental and safety standards. TTIP could also extend privatisation of public services like the NHS. If TTIP is agreed, it will be used to subject countries in the global south to radically neoliberal global trade standards.
The evidence shows that TTIP could have a detrimental impact in the UK, and become the new model for future trade agreements worldwide. TTIP negotiations should be stopped…”
