Today on The Janssen Report (#47):

Do we want the Transatlantic Trade And Investment Partnership (TTIP)?

This week the US and EU restarted their trade talks concerning the highly controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, also known as the TTIP.

Do we really want this so-called free trade agreement?

Is it really just a free trade agreement or is there more to it? Many politicians, but mostly citizens, are worried about this pact. The treaty is surrounded with secrecy and not even the highest ranking politicians who will be responsible for signing the deal are not allowed to see the entire agreement.

That just does not make sense if this is merely a free trade agreement. On WikiLeaks you can find transcripts of the TPP (Transpacific Partnership) and especially the one on Intellectual Property has far stretching implications for international business. Most specialists seem to agree that the benefits for the economies of the US and EU will be very limited, whereas the rights of the global corporations will be extended.

One particular mind-boggling implication is the following: if a nation creates laws that go against the treaty, corporations are allowed to sue the government for any losses they might suffer as a consequence.
When did corporations’ rights start superseding those of nations and citizens? Who in a democratic world would vote ‘yes’ to this?

Have a look at some of the coverage in the media:
– BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-2744…
– RT: http://rt.com/op-edge/159428-ttip-ben…
– WikiLeaks (TPP): https://wikileaks.org/tpp/

I used to be a fan of integration and I voted in favor of the European Union years ago. However, since I have been doing my research I have lost faith in the good intentions of the people orchestrating all of this.
Let’s keep our eyes on the ball, people.

Cheers,

Marco Janssen