[CTC] Transatlantic Trade Leak Exposes EU’s Failure to Protect Our Air, Water, Health

Fri Oct 23 12:45:26 PDT 2015

Hi all,

Today the Guardian <http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/23/ttip-eu-negotiators-appear-to-break-environmental-pledge-in-leaked-draft> leaked the recently released EU proposal for the TTIP Sustainable Development Chapter.  You can see the Guardian article, and the leaked chapter, here <http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/23/ttip-eu-negotiators-appear-to-break-environmental-pledge-in-leaked-draft>.

Below is a press release from Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth Europe, and PowerShift and an  analysis of the leaked text <https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/SD%20Analysis%20Consolidated%2010-19%20FINAL.pdf> from our organizations.

You can help promote by retweeting here <https://twitter.com/sierraclub/status/657635800302141440>!

Thanks,

Ilana

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, Oct. 23, 2015
Contacts:
Dan Byrnes (Sierra Club): 202-495-3039 <tel:202-495-3039> or daniel.byrnes at sierraclub.org <mailto:daniel.byrnes at sierraclub.org>
Natacha Cingotti, (Friends of the Earth Europe): +32 4 9294 8898 or natacha.cingotti at foeeurope.org <mailto:natacha.cingotti at foeeurope.org> 
Peter Fuchs (PowerShift): +49-(0)30-419 34 182 <tel:%2B49-%280%2930-419%2034%20182>, Peter.Fuchs at power-shift.de <mailto:Peter.Fuchs at power-shift.de>
View as webpage <https://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2015/10/transatlantic-trade-leak-exposes-eu-s-failure-protect-our-air-water-health>

Transatlantic Trade Leak Exposes EU’s Failure to Protect Our Air, Water, Health
Sierra Club and Partners Publish Analysis of Trade Document

WASHINGTON, DC – A leaked European Union document published today by the Guardian <http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/23/ttip-eu-negotiators-appear-to-break-environmental-pledge-in-leaked-draft> has revealed that the EU is willing to trade away essential environmental safeguards during the ongoing EU-US trade talks. The U.S. is currently negotiating the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership <https://www.sierraclub.org/trade/truth-behind-ttip> (TTIP) with the European Union, while the Obama Administration tries to drum up Congressional support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership <http://sierraclub.org/tpp> (TPP), a similar trade deal with 11 Pacific Rim nations. 

The leaked document, which provides an overview of the EU’s opening position on “sustainable development” in the TTIP negotiations, is full of nonbinding and unenforceable commitments that show that the EU is not committed to safeguarding essential environmental policies and public health protections. It also fails to even mention TTIP’s many threats to our clean air, clean water, and our climate, or propose any concrete measures to counter these threats.

Environmental groups in the U.S. and in Europe have expressed their “deep concern” about the EU position in their analysis of the text <https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/SD%20Analysis%20Consolidated%2010-19%20FINAL.pdf>, warning that nothing in the proposed text would prevent foreign corporations from attacking environmental policies in unaccountable trade tribunals or from TTIP expanding trade in dangerous fossil fuels like oil and gas.

The groups have also stated that the document’s weak language contradicts the EU’s previous claims <http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2015/january/tradoc_153013.1%20TSD.pdf> that a forthcoming proposal for a TTIP chapter on “Trade and sustainable development” would aim to “safeguard basic rules that protect… the environment” and “reinforce[e]… environmental governance.”
“This sustainable development proposal is anything but sustainable,” said Ilana Solomon, director of the Sierra Club’s Responsible Trade Program. “It's window-dressing, at best. Not only are the supposed environmental safeguards toothless, but the proposal lacks any enforcement mechanism. Nothing in the chapter would change the fact that TTIP would empower corporations like Shell and Chevron to challenge climate and environmental policies in private trade tribunals and lead to increased exports and production of oil and gas. The United States cannot afford to join trade deals -- Trans-Pacific, Trans-Atlantic, or otherwise -- that set us back on environmental progress and climate action.” 

“This new leak illustrates that the European Commission is not serious about protecting essential safeguards for citizens and the environment in the context of the TTIP talks,” said Natacha Cingotti, trade campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe. The negotiations are already being used as a lobby vehicle by powerful corporate polluters who are likely to get VIP treatment above the rest of society, the only chapter that could bring strong language to protect essential regulations to build a sustainable future are weak and unenforceable.”

Environmental groups have already expressed concerns about the negative climate impacts of the EU’s TTIP negotiating objectives <http://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2014/05/green-groups-leaked-energy-text-exposes-trade-european-union-endangers-action>, including the decision to prioritise access to U.S. fossil fuels instead of maximizing the potential of clean energy and energy efficiency, despite having set targets to reduce climate emissions by 2020.
###
More information:
To read the analysis of the text by the Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth Europe, and PowerShift, click here: https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/SD%20Analysis%20Consolidated%2010-19%20FINAL.pdf <https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/SD%20Analysis%20Consolidated%2010-19%20FINAL.pdf> 

The main points of the proposed chapter can be summarised as follows:
The leaked text fails to provide any adequate defense for environment-related policies likely to be undermined by TTIP. For example, nothing in the text would prevent foreign corporations from launching challenges against climate or other environmental policies adopted on either side of the Atlantic in unaccountable trade tribunals.

The environmental provisions are vaguely worded, creating loopholes that would allow governments to continue environmentally harmful practices. The chapter lacks any obligation to ratify multilateral agreements that would bolster environmental protection and includes a set of vague goals with respect to biological diversity, illegal wildlife trade, and chemicals.

The leaked text includes several provisions that the European Commission may claim as “safeguards,” such as a recognition of the “right of each Party determine its sustainable development policies and priorities” but none would effectively shield environmental policies from being challenged by rules in TTIP. 

There is no enforcement mechanism for any of the provisions mentioned in the text. Even if one were included, it would still be weaker than the enforcement mechanism provided for foreign investors either through the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism or the renamed investment court system.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.4 million members and supporters nationwide. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org <http://www.sierraclub.org/>.

About Friends of the Earth Europe
Friends of the Earth Europe campaigns for sustainable and just societies and for the protection of the environment, unites 30 national organisations with thousands of local groups and is part of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International. For further information, see www.foeeurope.org <http://www.foeeurope.org/>
About PowerShift
PowerShift (full name: PowerShift - Verein für eine ökologisch-solidarische Energie- & Weltwirtschaft) is a Berlin-based German NGO, which is monitoring European trade, investment, energy and raw materials policies. PowerShift calls for a new, sustainable approach to international trade and investment rules and plays a crucial role in German, European, and transatlantic networking and advocacy around the ongoing TTIP negotiations between the U.S. and the EU. For more information, visit http://power-shift.de <http://power-shift.de/>.
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