Organising against TTIP, Islington, 6th August

August 1, 2014  |   Filed under: Notice Board  |   Posted by:
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Wednesday, August 6th at 7 pm

Unity Church, 277a Upper Street, Islington, N1 2TZ

Discussion to be introduced by: Mark Bergfeld

TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) and CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and EU) are the most prominent examples of how trade and investment policies are being negotiated undemocratically and in the sole interest of large corporations. Negotiations are being undertaken in secrecy, with very little information available for public scrutiny, while allowing corporate lobbies increasing influence over them.

Should these agreements go ahead, multinational corporations will have exclusive rights to sue governments before international panel’s independent from national and European legal systems. They will reduce health and safety standards in a bid for transatlantic “harmonization“, and undermine national and local government’s authority to prevent harmful business practices such as fracking or use of GMO’s. They will induce the sell-off of essential public services and force workers and social rights in a race to the bottom.

These policies are closely linked to the ongoing dismantling of social standards and the push for privatization of public services in the name of “austerity”, “crisis-policies“ and increasing “competitiveness“.