Regarding that,
A. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a very important issue. Given that many demonstrations, protests and debates have been done about it, EFAy must have a clear position on this subject.
B. During last years the EU and the US have had many negotiation rounds for an agreement that was to be principally just a commerce treaty. Unfortunately it is not. Apart from the agreement to lower customs duties, TTIP is mostly an agreement about commerce legislation, especially about non-tariff barriers (technical specifications, sanitary controls, etc.). Therefore, it can produce big legislative changes in many areas.
C. The legislation in the use of phytosanitary products, the use of hormones in animals, cosmetics components or just about the environment in general, is less strict in the US than in the EU. In this way TTIP could open the door to products that currently are banned in the EU, such as meat with growth hormones for human consumption, cosmetics that include toxic components currently prohibited in the EU, some kinds of transgenic food, or the possibility to allow fracking in all the EU countries. This permission would mean a loss of democratic control in the legislative modifications in the EU.
D. Finally, TTIP foresees the creation of an arbitrage mechanism that allows companies to bring a lawsuit against those states which have regulations that could reduce their benefits, resulting in being able to reclaim those losses in the form of compensations. This mechanism would be ruled by a private court, formed by lawyers nominated by both parts, without being subject to any national or international legislation
The European Free Alliance Youth
1. Denounces the non-transparent and unclear process followed by the EU and the US, and asks for a public and transparent process that puts the adoption of the treaty in the hands of citizens.
2. Rejects the creation of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement courts which will be totally arbitrary institutions in order to solve interest conflicts between companies and states, while only benefiting the interests of large companies.
3. Denounces the disadvantages that TTIP will bring to small and medium size commerce, destroying the proximity model.
4. Strongly believes that the convergence that TTIP will produce between American and European laws will represent a threat to the quality of the products commercialised in the EU, the consumers’ health, the environment and labour rights. This threat can produce very negative effects especially among European farmers.
5. For these reasons, totally opposes TTIP and asks the EFA MEPs to reject it when the final deal will be tabled before the European Parliament.