‘TTIP treaty should not undermine democracy’, Dutch parliament says

Anti-TTIP demonstrators

Translated from NOS TV in the Netherlands today:

The House has passed a motion that stated that the free trade agreement TTIP should not affect the Dutch legal system and Dutch democracy.

“Through TTIP, eg, McDonald’s can force us to set lower standards for working conditions, working hours and compensation of employees. It threatens the democratic process here. You can not just put democracy in brackets,” said Christian Union MP Segers, who proposed the motion.

The VVD voted as only large party against the motion ….

GroenLinks had proposed a consultative popular referendum on the TTIP treaty, but that motion was voted down.

TTIP is a free trade agreement that Europe and the United States are now negotiating about. … Opponents say that Europe is losing control over the quality of products and workers’ rights.

The treaty has a component included on disputes between countries and corporations, the so-called investment ISDS (Investor to State Dispute Settlement) for businesses.

This ensures businesses can submit claims in a country if they feel that their interests are violated by those countries. For example if a company can not sell certain products, cannot build a nuclear power plant or have to comply with environmental and health regulations.

The government is basically for TTIP but Minister Ploumen in the negotiations is busy with modifications of the treaty.

Parliament, after hearing the deliberation,

whereas our constitutional democracy and values such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality and protection of the environment and human rights must be guaranteed;

declares that TTIP may contain no dispute arbitration detrimental to our national legal system and our democratic decision-making, and proceeds to the order of the day.

Voted for this motion: PVV, Bontes/Van Klaveren, CDA, Christian Union, SGP, Kuzu/Öztürk, 50Plus, D66, Green Left, PvdA, Party for the Animals and Socialist Party.

Dutch PvdA against TTIP, ‘unless it changes drastically’: here. Prominent PvdA politicians won’t like that criticism.

Britain: PROPOSED European Union-US trade deal the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership may stop Labour from ending the Tories’ free schools programme, teachers warned yesterday. TTIP will hand firms the power to sue governments if the curtailing of their influence in public services caused a loss of revenue: here.

TEACHERS must resist the dangerous EU-US trade deal TTIP or see the profit agenda imposed upon education for good, NUT conference heard yesterday. The NUT followed fellow teaching union ATL in condemnation of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which will allow secret panels of pro-business lawyers to fine states for economic intervention when it hurts the interests of a private business: here.

DEMOCRACY campaigners will hold protests across the world today against the TTIP deregulation deal being negotiated in secret by the US and EU. Dozens of demonstrations against the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) are planned in Britain alone, with a “day of dissent” kicking off in London’s Shepherd’s Bush Common at noon: here.

On the global day of action against free trade deals, MARK DEARN explains how TTIP and its ilk represent a terrifying shift of power away from us and into corporate hands: here.