Find out about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) on the European Day of Action on Saturday next - 11th October .
Organised by TTIP Information Network In the offices of Unite the union,
55-56 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1.
Seminars will be held on the following TTIP – related subjects:
Workshops Details: 11.00am to 12.30pm:
Workshop 1: Food & Agriculture and Global South:
Oliver Moore, EU Correspondent with ARC 2020
Michael O'Brien, Comhlámh Trade Justice Group
Workshop 2: Climate Change & Fracking:
Oisín Coughlan, Director of Friends of the Earth (Ireland)
Barry Finnegan, researcher with ATTAC Ireland; lecturer media faculty Griffith College
Speaker TBC, No Fracking Dublin
Workshop 3: ISDS, Privatisation and Workers' Rights
Dr. John Reynolds, Lecturer International Law, NUI Maynooth
Dr. Paul O'Connell, Reader in Law, School of Law, SOAS, University of London
Brendan Ogle, Education & Development Organiser UNITE trade union;
Right2Water campaign
1.00 to 2.00pm: Launch of European Citizens’ Initiative Petition Against
TTIP
The seminars are being organised by a coalition of civil society groups
who've come together to share information and stimulate greater awareness of
the undemocratic TTIP negotiations. They include the Peoples Movement, ATTAC
Ireland, An Taisce, Centre for Global Education, Ceartas - Irish Lawyers for
Human Right, Comhlámh Trade Justice Group, Debt and Development Coalition
Ireland, Environmental Pillar, Euro-Toques, Fracking Free Ireland, No
Fracking Dublin, Presentation Justice Network, Trade Union Left Forum, We're
Not Leaving, Young Friends of the Earth and others organised at the initiative of
Comhlamh.
https://www.facebook.com/TTIPInformationNetwork
What is TTIP?
TTIP (also known as Transatlantic Free Trade
Agreement or TAFTA) is a far-reaching agreement currently being negotiated between the European Commission (authorised by EU Member States) and the USA government, supposedly about trade but mostly about corporate rights, investment guarantees and deregulation.
The proposed TTIP ostensibly aims at achieving "regulatory convergence”, facilitating direct investment and improving "intellectual property rights", and combatting bureaucratic hurdles to market access for corporations from both sides of the Atlantic. However, this disguises deregulation, unfair and undemocratic investor protection and intellectual property monopolies, and harmful competition. While the promised but unsubstantiated and disputed economic benefits are marginal even in the best case scenarios, these goals threaten important rights and interests of the public in the EU, US, or the rest of the world.
Negotiations are happening behind closed doors, without true public consultation - even national parliaments are not even informed about the details of the Commission's negotiating mandate - but the rare snippets of information that have been released -- or leaked -- raise considerable concerns.
Attac is part of a EU-wide coalition of civil society organisations who share a deep concern about the various threats posed by the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. The coalition represents a wide range of public interests including environmental protection, public health, agriculture, consumer rights and protection of food and farming standards, animal welfare, social and labour standards, workers' rights, development, public access to information and digital rights, essential public services including education, financial systems stability, and others.
We are committed to challenging the ongoing negotiations for the TTIP, CETA, and other similar Free Trade Agreements - on national and European level - to ensure transparent and democratic policy debate and agreements that serve the public interest.
What is TTIP? | The international Attac network
Ombudsman asks Council and Commission to publish more TTIP documents
Press release no. 17/2014
31 July 2014
Transatlantic Trade and Investment PartnershipAuthor: European Union
The European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, has called on the Council of the European Union to publish the EU negotiating directives for the on-going Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations with the US. She has also proposed to the European Commission a range of practical measures to enable timely public access to TTIP documents, and to details of meetings with stakeholders. She has opened investigations involving both institutions.
Emily O'Reilly explained: "The EU institutions have made a considerable effort to promote transparency and public participation concerning TTIP. I agree that not all negotiating documents can be published at this stage, there needs to be room to negotiate. However, concerns have been raised about key documents not being disclosed, about delays, and about the alleged granting of privileged access to TTIP documents to certain stakeholders. Given the significant public interest and the potential impact of TTIP on the lives of citizens, I am urging both these EU institutions to step up their proactive transparency policy."
Access to EU negotiating directives and other TTIP documents
The on-going TTIP negotiations aim to cut tariffs and to address differing technical regulations and standards between the EU and the US. If agreed, TTIP will be the biggest bilateral free trade agreement in history. Civil society organisations have, however, raised concerns that the EU's high environmental, health, and consumer standards risk being lowered.
The Ombudsman has opened these investigations to help ensure that the Council and Commission establish a more proactive approach to the transparency of these negotiations. The ultimate goal of the own initiative inquiries is to enhance the legitimacy of the TTIP negotiations in the eyes of citizens. She has asked the Council and Commission to send their opinions on her concrete proposals by 30 September and 31 October 2014 respectively.
Her letter to the Commission is available at: Letter to the European Commission requesting an opinion in the European Ombudsman's own-initiative inquiry OI/10/2014/MMN concerning transparency and public participation in relation to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negoti
Her letter to the Council is available at: Letter to the Council of the EU requesting an opinion in the European Ombudsman's own-initiative inquiry OI/11/2014/MMN concerning transparency and public participation in relation to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiat
The European Ombudsman investigates complaints about maladministration in the EU institutions and bodies. Any EU citizen, resident, or an enterprise or association in a Member State, can lodge a complaint with the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman offers a fast, flexible, and free means of solving problems with the EU administration. For more information: European Ombudsman
For press inquiries: Ms Gundi Gadesmann, Deputy Head of the Communication Unit, tel.: +32 2 284 26 09, Twitter: @EUombudsman
Press releases - Ombudsman asks Council and Commission to publish more TTIP documents»European Ombudsman