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Corporatocracy vs d emocracy Secrecy, corporate influence & the erosion of democracy in the transatlantic trade talks. Pia Eberhardt Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) pia@corporateeurope.org Presentation for: Anti-TTIP campaign & strategy meeting 12 December 2013, Brussels. Structure.
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Corporatocracy vs democracy Secrecy, corporate influence & the erosion of democracy in the transatlantic trade talks Pia Eberhardt Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) pia@corporateeurope.org Presentation for: Anti-TTIP campaign & strategy meeting 12 December 2013, Brussels
Structure • Key concerns about TTIP & democracy • Key demands • More information
TTIP & democracy: key concerns I • Secrecy • negotiations behind closed doors • negotiation texts & position papers ≠ published • Public scrutiny & robust review = impossible
Secrecy of the negotiations • “All documents related to the negotiation or development of the TTIP agreement, including negotiating texts, proposals of each side, accompanying explanatory material, discussion papers, emails related to the substance of the negotiations, and other information exchanged in the context of the negotiations (...) will be held in confidence (...) The Commission may decide to make public certain documents that will reflect exclusively the EU position.” • EU chief negotiator for TTIP, Ignacio Garcia Bercero, in a letter to Daniel Mullaney, US chief negotiator for TTIP, 5 July 2013
TTIP & democracy: key concerns II • Corporate capture • 93% of behind-closed-door meetings of Commission with ‘stakeholders’ to prepare trade talks were with industry lobbyists > other interests sidelined • Biased consultation process to gather input from companies • Reflected in corporate agenda
TTIP & democracy: key concerns III • Erosion of democracy • investor-state attacks on democratic policies • Regulatory cooperation agenda could dramatically increase big business power over regulation
TTIP & democracy: key concerns III • Regulatory cooperation – the main mechanisms • Regulatory cooperation council to permanently promote “regulatory compatibility” (existing & future regulation) • Regulatory agencies with a key role • When assessing regulation, impact on transnational trade will be at the core • Early warning system, extensive information obligations • Contact points for interested parties (“right to lobby”) • Business with a prominent role all through the process
Key demands • Immediate publication of all negotiation texts • End the privileged access of big business to EU trade policy-making • No regulatory cooperation agreement in TTIP Possible joint demands: • Immediate publication of all negotiation texts • Halt the TTIP talks until all negotiation texts are made public
More information • CEO (2013): Busting the myths of transparency around the EU-US trade deal • Alternative Trade Mandate Alliance (2013): Is this what democracy looks like? • On Monday: Regulation – none of our business?