TTIP EU-US talks
Some belated transparency for controversial negotiations but much more needed
The Council of the EU today announced that EU governments have agreed to make the negotiating mandate for the EU-US TTIP* trade negotiations available to the public. Commenting on the news, Green trade spokesperson Yannick Jadot stated:
"Making the negotiating mandate public is an important, if overdue, step for improving transparency in the controversial TTIP negotiations. We welcome this belated initiative on the part of EU governments, but it is important to underline that it is only one part of the picture. If the EU is truly committed to transparency on TTIP, the Commission must now grant access to the negotiating documents. The devil is in the detail and it is only by scrutinising the detail in these negotiating documents that those not directly involved in the negotiations can know where these devils lie.
"There is a large and growing sense of unease and concern among the European public and civil society about the ongoing TTIP negotiations. This concern reflects the broad scope of the negotiations and their possible implications on European standards, and is reinforced by the opaque negotiation process. We need to be sure those negotiating on the EU's behalf do not budge an inch on EU standards and full transparency is key in this regard."
*TTIP - Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. For more detailed information on the Greens/EFA campaign on TTIP, visit: http://ttip2014.eu/
