GREENS will join representatives of civil society from across Europe today to present EU Commission President Jean Claude Juncker with a very large 60th birthday present – a million strong petition against the controversial TTIP trade treaty.
Greens have been at the forefront of a campaign against the proposed US-EU trade deal, saying it threatens environmental and social standards and would potentially allow corporations to sue governments over laws and regulations that affect their profits. Concerns over the contentious deal have prompted a massive Europe-wide campaign with thousands of citizens signing petitions, organising street demonstrations, and attending public meetings.
Keith Taylor, Green MEP for the South East said:
“TTIP negotiators cannot continue to ignore public opinion. If the deal goes ahead, foreign investors will be able to sue governments using secret courts if their profits are threatened by national laws. That means we’d be a step closer to corporations writing laws instead of Governments. The public don’t want this as shown very clearly by the one million people who signed the petition".
Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London said:
"Public pressure has already brought more transparency to the process and increased pressure not to include the controversial private tribunal system to settle company claims against governments. It is crucially important that the spotlight stays on this Agreement."
Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP for the South West has signed a letter to the new Trade Commissioner, Cecilia Malmström, requesting she reconsider the decision taken by the previous Commission to reject TTIP as a suitable subject for a Citizens Initiative. She said:
“I am deeply concerned about the increasingly unaccountable power of multinational corporations in European societies as well as within the EU institutions themselves. A million citizens from Europe are demanding that their voices be heard; we urge the Commission to listen.”