The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. What it is and why we should be worried

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a proposed trade deal between the EU and the US, supposedly being pursued in the interests of free trade.

UCU believes that it poses a profound threat to public services in general, including education, leaving them wide open not only to greater privatisation but making it harder for any future government to regulate foreign private sector companies.

The TTIP is also an affront to democracy. The talks are being pursued without any transparency or democratic oversight by the EU and the US. If they succeed, they will take disputes between companies and governments away from independent courts and make them the preserve of unaccountable tribunals dominated by corporate lawyers.

This briefing explains why UCU is calling for all public services to be protected within any trade treaty and indicates how members can support the growing campaign against the TTIP.

ESO: Background information: TTIP: EU Chief Negotiator says EU-US trade deal not about deregulation, as third round of talks end in Washington http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-ttip-eu-chief-negotiator-says-eu-us-trade-deal-not-about-deregulation-as-third-round-of-talks-end-in-washington/

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