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EU Drops Plans For Safer Pesticides After Pressure From US

Posted by Soulskill on from the say-it-don't-spray-it dept.

An anonymous reader writes: The European Union recently published plans to ban 31 pesticides containing chemicals linked to testicular cancer and male infertility. Those potential regulations have now been dropped after a U.S. business delegation said they would adversely affect trade negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. "Just weeks before the regulations were dropped there had been a barrage of lobbying from big European firms such as Dupont, Bayer and BASF over EDCs. The chemical industry association Cefic warned that the endocrines issue 'could become an issue that impairs the forthcoming EU-US trade negotiations.'"

5 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. Spin everywhere... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    News like this makes me angry and sad at the same time. The problem is that it's all so complicated that one cannot really understand the matter without spending years of work and research on it, and even then a citizen only gets a subset of all information that was presented.

    The chemical industry for sure had arguments and data that supported their case, in same way that the opponents of the pesticides have their arguments and data. It all comes down to spinning information and conveniently omitting some facts (for sure on either side). How anyone, who is not a subject matter expert, can make a decision in this is just beyond me.

    1. Re:Spin everywhere... by MrL0G1C · · Score: 5, Informative

      RTFA and you might then understand the issue.

      What they don't clearly say is the real reason they dropped the bans is because the bans would likely not be legal if TTIP were implemented.

      TTIP removes the ability of the gov't and EU to protect people and the environment in many ways. ISDS allows companies to sue governments if some new law causes them to lose profits. In effect, new laws to protect people can not be written if they impinge on some corporations TTIP given right to make profit at any expense.

      TTIP is insanely bad, it is undemocratic, written by The Commission and corporations in order to help corporate profits at the expense of jobs, health, public serivces and the environment.

      What is TTIP? And six reasons why the answer should scare you - Comment - Voices - The Independent

      UN calls for suspension of TTIP talks over fears of human rights abuses | Global | The Guardian

      New trade deal with U.S. will open the door to inferior food pumped with growth hormones and pesticides warns Jamie Oliver | Daily Mail Online

      TTIP will cost one million jobs: official | War on Want

      Email MEP (not mp) (sorry UK only)

      This capitulation is very much proof that there will be a race to the bottom with regards to standards, there will be a corporate orgy of cost-cutting at the expense of our health and product quality. All of this cost-cutting will of course cost jobs.

      Stop TTIP, sign the petition

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  2. Bad for TTIP? by Saithe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Everything that is good for citizens is bad for TTIP and vice versa.

  3. It is tech related, seriously. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Tech is not only Si-tech, it is Chem-tech and Bio-tech too.

    PS If your nerdiness ends by your keyboard, it is your own issue.

  4. Re:How is this tech related? by gstoddart · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No, apparently US business interests are far more important.

    I think it's time the rest of the world told the US: we don't give a fuck about your business interests, we care about not putting toxic crap on our foods.

    "Aggressive US lobbyists" should be told the STFU or simply shot.

    Free trade with the US is "we will ignore any obligations, and we will cram our laws down your throat."

    If diplomacy with the US is entirely about advancing US business interests to the detriment of local industry and environment ... the response should be a big giant "fo fuck yourself".

    Because the US pushes for trade deals, and then still reuses to ignore them ... things like steel subsidies, massive corn subsidies, and country of origin labeling requirements are things they've repeatedly lost in WTO arbitration.

    So why the hell do countries keep putting up with this shit?

    Such horseshit. It's time the rest of the world stopped giving a shit about US business interests ... because they never actually coincide with domestic interests.

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