Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: are Welsh public services safe on the ‘altar of free trade’?

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or 'TTIP', is a proposed trade agreement between the European Union and the USA. If agreed, it will become the biggest free trade pact in the world. Some commentators are fearful of the proposals, which they think could lead to privatisation by stealth of valued public services, and give corporations an unprecedented level of power over elected governments. They are also suspicious of the fact that much of the discussion has taken place behind closed doors – something that EU officials say is necessary to protect the EU’s bargaining power. Are these fears justified?

Article by Robin Wilkinson, National Assembly for Wales Research Service.

• Primary Source

ESO: Key Source: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) http://www.europeansources.info/record/transatlantic-trade-and-investment-partnership-ttip/

ESO: Background information: A million sign petition against EU-US trade talks http://www.europeansources.info/record/a-million-sign-petition-against-eu-us-trade-talks/

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