TTIP Already 'Rewriting the Rule Book' for EU Food Standards, New Report Finds

[IDemo]

The pending Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will likely spark a "race to the bottom" for national policies that regulate everything from the air we breath to the food we eat and, according to a new report, the controversial pact is already pushing European governments to loosen key food safety standards.

Put forth by the UK-based social justice organization Global Justice now, the report (pdf), published Sunday, highlights a component of the pact known as "regulatory cooperation" or "regulatory coherence," which seeks to establish common standards between the United States and the European Union.

Under the provision, notes the group, multinational corporations are granted the opportunity to influence any new regulation—amounting to a "blueprint for corporate domination."

"To most people regulations such as air pollution limits and food safety standards are common sense protections against dangerous threats," said report author Alex Scrivener, who works as a campaigns officer at Global Justice Now. "But to big business, these are little more than tiresome barriers to increasing profits."

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/10/18/ttip-already-rewriting-rule-book-eu-food-standards-new-report-finds

[ruffburr]

1. It's a sad state of affairs-

We must stop the TPP before the disaster strikes.

[Enthusiast]

9. They plan to enact it against our wishes.

This is the most anti-democratic thing I can ever remember the government doing.

[djean111]

2. No vote from me for anyone who votes yes on these "trade" agreements, who voted yes for

Fast Track, who shilled for any of it. No support, no vote.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

3. I wish I already hadn't voted for those who have been pushing it upon us.

I dared to hope for change. Now I see the change as nightmare descending.

[BelgianMadCow]

4. Thanks for posting. Endocrine disruptors are causing massive infertility problems

but I was unaware that even in the negotiating phase there is already a legislative chiiling effect. Bookmarked and will be used in campaign to try and make my community TTIP-free.

[grntuscarora]

6. Misread the OP

as TPP instead of TTIP, so self deleted my previous post, but my question still applies:

Assuming these trade agreements will become the law of the land, what ways will ordinary folk find to undermine them? I'm sure creative people will find ways.

[Skittles]

7. the world is their toilet

yup

[blackspade]

8. Capitalism is a broken piece of shit system...

limping from crisis to crisis devouring everything in its path leaving ruin in its wake.

[Enthusiast]

11. It's really starting to look that way. Jeez, all they had to do was exercise a little restraint.

I guess they just couldn't do that.

[hifiguy]

12. Capitalism "conquered" Communism

and is now in the process of crushing the life out of Western democracy. Which is what capitalism does as it devolves inevitably into open fascism.

[ronnie624]

17. Excellent characterization.

Capitalism's purpose is NOT to distribute resources, but in fact, to concentrate them in the possession of society's elites, for the sole purpose of further enrichment. It is illogical, barbaric, wasteful and unjust, and it can NEVER provide security for an advancing, energy intensive civilization, especially as energy resources are dwindling. The purpose of these 'partnerships' (between rich people in varying countries) is to further entrench this vile 'economic system', and make it even more difficult to reform. They do not bode well for our future.

[Enthusiast]

10. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

The American people will be equally fucked by the TPP as they are by the TTIP.

[HeiressofBickworth]

13. It's always about the money

Regulations/standards = "But to big business, these are little more than tiresome barriers to increasing profits."

The question of how we protect ourselves from sub-standard goods is answered by this: we don't. As long as these trade agreements prevent the labeling of country-of-origin, we go shopping and we take our chances. According to free-traders and libertarians, if enough people sicken and die from a product, the "market" will take care of everything. They do not believe in preventive measures; they only believe in the magic of the "market". Will they sing the same tune when THEIR children get sick from eating filth-fed fish from Thailand or Mexico or some similar occurrence?

[BeanMusical]

14. Kick and R

What a nightmare.

[hedda_foil]

15. We are so far along the road to a global dystopia that I don't know if it's possible to change.

[Elwood P Dowd]

16. Anyone that supports TPP or TTIP is Traitor Trash.

Traitors not only to their country, but traitors to every single living, breathing life on planet earth.