TTIP: The New Generation of Secrecy

In my last article I briefly touched on the current issues with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). With the papers and news broadcasts calculated absence from the TPP meetings in Australia this week, the need arises to raise questions and educate people on the importance of this partnerships in pending. After all, the TPP will encompass 40 percent of the world’s GDP when the ‘sticking points’ are ironed out between countries. But today’s article isn’t concerning the TPP agenda. It’s about its counterpart, the TIPP; an even more inconspicuous partnership which compliments the TPP cousin beautifully.

The TIPP acronym stands for Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. It’s not as old as the TPP (2008), only beginning free trade agreement negotiations between the US and the EU in 2013. Combined, these two super partners represent 60 percent of the world’s economy. But like its TPP cousin, the sticking point for negotiations remains around the contentious agricultural schedule. The EU is reluctant, as is Japan with the TPP, to sign on the dotted line. GMO’s, after all, still have a big question mark dangling over them.

What’s really at stake?

The World Trade Organization is starring down a barrel of a gun. Traditional lowering of tariffs and abolishing quotas has already been achieved by the WTO, so why the TPP/TIPP?

US Senator, Ron Wyden argued the secrecy of TPP in front of Congress in 2012.

“The majority of Congress is being kept in the dark as to the substance of the TPP negotiations, while representatives of U.S. corporations, like Halliburton, Chevron, PHRMA, Comcast, and the Motion Picture Association of America – are being consulted and made privy to details of the agreement… We hear that the process by which TPP is being negotiated has been a model of transparency. I disagree with that statement.” [1]

When these two treaties are concluded, over 60 percent of the global economy will be covered.[2] In Rensburg’s article “Is the WTO a Sinking Ship?” He outlines some interesting arguments for the high stakes of the pending global trade rules and argues that the WTO is possibly defunct as a result.

•  The core of the negotiations is standard setting on intellectual property, environmental issues, health and safety and the restriction of state-owned companies. 

• (The TIPP and TPP are widely viewed as the West’s unofficial China containment strategy). China probably couldn’t join the agreement even if it wanted to, because the agenda is practically tailored to attack all the practices that underpin its economic success. 

• These are works in progress, but if successful, the result would be that the trade rules covering the vast majority of global trade will be set far away from the WTO [3]

Intellectual Property rights involving fundamental Internet freedoms; Pharmaceuticals and Patents which will increase costs while making some essential drugs to life threatening diseases unobtainable for society; and agricultural standards are some of the issues the TPP/TIPP will host.

The secrecy of both deals is to say the least, antagonistic, considering the “new generation” label given to the trade agreements. Limited access to the documents is granted to the countries involved, yet US corporations such as Monsanto and Chevron are granted the right to oversee key sections of the text.

The importance of public awareness can’t be stressed enough. Only 1 in 10 know of its existence. The percentage falls when public comprehension is considered – and it’s not the public’s fault. The secrecy these agreements are shrouded in is a strategic move. Spread the word about the TPP/TIPP negotiations to your neighbor. It’s time to make the Western governments accountable for their lack of transparency.

Other resources on the matter are available here (TPP – wikileaks publication on the updated chapter) TPP ), here (TPP – anon watcher’s article on TPP), here (TPP – local concerns for some), here (TIPP – Exec Office of the President, US), and here (TIPP – arguments for and against).

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[1] Zoe Williams (25 August 2014) “Trade Agreement Trends.” http://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/25/08/2014/trade-agreement-trends (Retrieved 29 October 2014)

[2] Jerome R. Corsi (13 November 2013) “WikiLeaks reveals secret Trans-Pacific trade deal” http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/wikileaks-reveals-secret-trans-pacific-trade-deal/ WND (Retrieved 29 October 2014)

[3] Dewald Van Rensburg (19 May 2013) “Is the WTO a Sinking Ship?” http://www.citypress.co.za/business/is-the-wto-a-sinking-ship/ City Press, Business Section. (Retrieved 29 October 2014)