Latest Leak Confirms TTIP a 'Serious Threat to Democracy as We Know It'

[eridani]

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/03/18/latest-leak-confirms-ttip-serious-threat-democracy-we-know-it

EU member states and the European Parliament will be "sidelined" in favor of big business and U.S. interests should the TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) go through, according to a leaked document revealed Friday.

The leak, of the corporate-friendly trade deal's draft chapter on "regulatory cooperation" between the EU and U.S., was made public by The Independent and Brussels-based campaign group Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO).

It exposes "a labyrinth of procedures that could tie up any EU proposals that go against U.S. interests," as The Independent put it, as well as "the extent to which major corporations and industry groups will be able to influence the development of regulatory cooperation."

As Kenneth Haar, researcher for CEO, explained:

Lengthy procedures, including vetting by business for possible economic impacts, are thus envisaged for new regulations. Such measures have already been used informally to weaken EU ambition on financial sector supervision in the years leading up to the 2008 collapse, to offer a free pass to US companies on personal data protection, and to delay or water down EU proposals on animal testing and aviation emissions.

This leaked document from the negotiations confirms fears that the Commission will be obliged to consult with US authorities before adopting new legislative proposals while EU Member States and the European Parliament are sidelined. The leak also offers a glimpse at the proposed bureaucratic labyrinth of impact assessments, dialogues, consultations and reviews that could tie up any proposals that go against US business interests.

In short, he said, "this document shows how TTIP's regulatory cooperation will facilitate big business influence—and U.S. influence—on lawmaking before a proposal is even presented to parliaments."

[PatrickforO]

1. Wow. And I thought TPP was the big capitalist move to end nation states!

How naive. Well, if we hate this nation and everything it stands for, then it will be simple to end it all - just a simple 'yes' vote for this newest 'free trade' piece of shit. That'll do it!

Capitalism sucks. It makes me want to...

[Helen Borg]

3. Yay! Go Hillary.

[SammyWinstonJack]

10. She was for it before she was against it before she'll fully embrace it.

Why would anyone not stinkin rich even consider voting for her.......

[davidpdx]

4. This is going to get rammed through when we least expect it

and then we will be screwed.

[Bassomar]

5. Slay Queen

I wonder who will be the first hillary supporters who realize the big mistake they made voting for her.

[MisterP]

13. they can regret their vote all they want--once it's been cast

that's how the Clinton campaign rolls

[global1]

6. Are These Trade Agreements The Beginnings Of....

new world order? Scary huh?

[nationalize the fed]

8. I bet VP Joe Biden knows

but no one will ask him. Wonder why that is?

“The affirmative task we have now is to actually create a new world order”
-Vice President Joe Biden, 2013

Joe's up first in this curious montage

"Only kooks and wackjobs talk about a new world order"
-Jacob Strathe, Debunker

[global1]

12. Well Heck - I Don't Want To Be Labeled A Kook Or A Wackjob So....

I'll never bring this up again.

[pampango]

11. According to the far-right it is the UN that leads to a collectivist New World Order.

According to Welch, "both the U.S. and Soviet governments are controlled by the same furtive conspiratorial cabal of internationalists, greedy bankers, and corrupt politicians. If left unexposed, the traitors inside the U.S. government would betray the country's sovereignty to the United Nations for a collectivist New World Order, managed by a 'one-world socialist government.'" Welch saw collectivism as the main threat to western culture, and American liberals as "secret communist traitors" who provided cover for the gradual process of collectivism, with the ultimate goal of replacing the nations of western civilization with a one-world socialist government. "There are many stages of welfarism, socialism, and collectivism in general," he wrote, "but Communism is the ultimate state of them all, and they all lead inevitably in that direction."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Birch_Society#OriginsF

The one thing that the left can agree with the JBS on is that a "furtive conspiratorial cabal of internationalists, greedy bankers, and corrupt politicians" will betray the American people. We differ in that the far-right believes "U.S. government would betray the country's sovereignty to the United Nations for a collectivist New World Order, managed by a 'one-world socialist government" while the left believes it will be trade agreements that "betray the country's sovereignty" for a corporate New World Order managed by one-world capitalist government.

[JustAnotherGen]

7. FYI

Yesterday the email came out from CBP for import/export compliance people of a new tool allowing you to select country of origin (coo), country you are exporting to, and harmonized tariff code (hits). It's not fully developed (tried HTS for SIM Cards) and it wouldn't pull to the directive. But for example - Mexico now has the Mexico-NAFTA and Mexico-TPP as a selection.

That was interesting. I think it only applies to my company in the 1000 to 1100 page block - but who knows. I will be interested in seeing the far end tariffs in Vietnam and how Tools Of Trade (export and import for purpose of trade shows, testing, development, etc etc) will be handled. The TPP document doesn't make clear. It does show a marked shift from Europe to Asia for the Americas and vice versa. IE does Pottery Barn become more affordable for affluent Vietnamese? Would Restoration Hardware shift production to a TPP country from China - or possibly bring it back to the U.S. in order to have greater access to TPP countries? Many of those have a small but rising middle class.

I'm more of an observer on this than an opinion holder as I will have to implement.

Ironically on Conflict Minerals (within Dodd Frank) I'm not an implementer but I have a great stake so I tend to be far more opinionated on that. And it is one hell of a trade modifier.

[pampango]

9. Sounds like the EU needs a 'great negotiator' to counter Obama.

We have just the guy whom we would be glad to ship to Brussels.

Unfortunately for Europe 'our guy' does not want to regulate American corporations regardless of which side he is negotiating for. Besides Europe already has more than its share of RW populists and does not need another one.