Views vary on benefits or costs of transatlantic trade talks

The divergent agricultural and industrial views on the ongoing Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks between the US and the EU seem to be widening.

Critics of the TTIP talks say too many decisions are being made behind closed doors, and are calling on Europeans to resist proposed new laws that would ‘nationalise’ food and land resources. Supporters of a US-EU deal highlight a possible 2m new jobs and an annual dividend for every EU family.

South of Ireland MEP Sean Kelly said: “The potential benefits of an EU-US trade deal are enormous. To the naysayers I say let the negotiations continue. Those issues of concern are up for debate, but don’t outright oppose what could be a very important trade deal for Europe without even knowing the details.

“The TTIP could create 2m new jobs in Europe, increase GDP by 5% and effectively benefit every EU family by €550 per year.”

Last week, an alliance of more than 120 citizens’ organisations across Europe launched a European Citizens’ Initiative in a bid to force the repeal of the EU’s negotiating mandate for both the ongoing TTIP (with the US) and CETA (with Canada) negotiations.

Irish chef Kevin Thornton expressed concern that an EU-US trade deal could open the door to GM foods in Ireland.

He was joined at a public event in Dublin by other prominent Irish industry and academic figures who criticised the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), a new mechanism by which companies could sue countries over regulations that damage their profits.

Barry Finnegan, lecturer at Griffith College and researcher with the international civil society group Attac, said: “The ISDS transforms the idea of the nation state when you have a private entity, a corporation, directly confronting or able to sue a government who represents the interests of all its people.

“We want the ISDS mechanism out of TTIP and also out of every bilateral trade agreement because we defend the people of the world’s right to elect governments to regulate their economies and nationalise their natural resources for the benefit of the people.”

German MEP Helmut Scholz has also called for transparency at the talks and an end to what he called the “dangerous backroom talks” that have accompanied the TTIP negotiations.

“Clarity at these talks is essential, because unless we stop it, TTIP will have an effect on virtually every facet of daily life.

“One of the main sectors implicated in the discussions is also the most fundamental to daily life; food.

“No other group has swayed the negotiations as much as the agri-business lobbyists.”

Mr Scholz said that a central aspect of the provisions for TTIP is “mutual recognition” of standards — the notion that the EU and the US should both accept their corresponding regulations.