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Greenpeace Leaks Big Part Of Secret TTIP Documents (bbc.com)

An anonymous reader writes: The environmental group Greenpeace has obtained 248 pages of classified documents from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) trade talks. The group warns EU standards on the environment and public health risk being undermined by compromises with the US, specifically that US corporations may erode Europe's consumer protections. The TTIP would "harmonize regulations across a huge range of business sectors, providing a boost to exporters on both sides of the Atlantic," writes the BBC. After the Greenpeace leak was published, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said in her blog, "I am simply not in the business of lowering standards." Meanwhile, Greenpeace EU director Jorgo Riss said, "These leaked documents confirm what we have been saying for a long time: TTIP would put corporations at the center of policy-making, to the detriment of environment and public health." You can be the judge for yourself. The leaked documents are available for download here.

32 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Since the TPP and TTIP are often mentioned togethr by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The EFF has a great write up on how the TPP (the trans pacific partnership, another one of these shitpile laws) will affect anyone even remotely interested in technology. It's a great link to send around to anyone who's thinking "I'm not in manufacturing, why should I care?"

    It's bad, folks. And even worse because in summer 2015, before the election, before both the GOP (!) and Dem candidate came out against the TPP, Obama fought and beat back his own party to get fast track authority for approval, meaning now it's way easier for it to get approved, with no ability to strip out the bad parts or filibuster against it.

  2. Re:Could be anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And there are people like yourself that see conspiracies everywhere. Sorry to tell you that the information leaked is probably accurate and most likely doesn't tell the entire story of how awful TTIP will be for the average consumer.

  3. Re:Since the TPP and TTIP are often mentioned toge by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 2

    Global Elitists conspiring behind closed curtains. And Obama is one of them. GOP and DNC are both equally in bed on this one. There is NO functional difference on anything that really matters. The only thing that keeps people divided are bathrooms and sexuality. I guess that's enough of a circus to keep the people distracted while both parties are conspiring against us.

    --
    Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
  4. Environmental damage is fungible by rmdingler · · Score: 4, Informative
    It's a tough ask really, when you consider that much of the West's industrial competitiveness is bartered away when the Europeans and Americans and Australians legislate high domestic standards for emissions and environmental minimums; and then, pretend those industries aren't poisoning the earth making shiny stuff at Chinese factories that follow less rigorous environmental guidelines.

    Greater effort toward universal compliance should be the objective.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

    1. Re:Environmental damage is fungible by PRMan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If the harmonization were UP, then that would be true. But it's more like lowering the rest of us back toward Chinese levels.

      --
      Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
    2. Re:Environmental damage is fungible by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2, Informative

      You seem to know nothing about EU rules on pollution and emissions. We require products made in China to meet all our standards for hazardous materials, and companies that outsource manufacturing to China have the pollution generated there counted towards their domestic liability. Stuff that is made by Chinese companies and imported is subject to tariffs if it creates excessive pollution in China.

      --
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  5. Cecilia Malmström by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    is in the business of pushing the TTIP through. At any price. There's a lot of talk about how it would increase exports in both directions, but when the single directed economic force that the U.S is meets the EU's myriad of smaller economic forces pushing in their own direction, then the outcome will only favor the U.S and its corporations.

    The inevitable and intended outcome of the TTIP is a single US-EU economy dictated by U.S corporations, wholly favoring the U.S. The EU is in control of its own economies today, but the TTIP would change that. The EU MUST reject the TTIP to remain in control of its own economies.

  6. Why is no one asking the obvious question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Serious question: Why is any part of a multi national trade deal classified information ? Why is this even a thing? No one has mentioned one single sound reason at any level of discourse why any of this is classified. I do not live under a rock but maybe I should.

    1. Re:Why is no one asking the obvious question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What is even more sad is we have to find out not from law enforcement or our gov officials doing the right thing. We are finding out thru leaks.

      If you are hiding something like this behind 'classified' criteria then you probably are doing something you shouldnt be.

    2. Re:Why is no one asking the obvious question by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 4, Insightful

      > Why is any part of a multi national trade deal classified information ?

      The answer to that is classified. :-)

      You mean you don't trust a government where the FBI director wants expanded law enforcement access to encrypted data but yet still has the gall to make laws in secret?

      What are you? A commie for pointing out the government officials are hypocrites? :-)

      --
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  7. Not saying there isn't a problem... by kuzb · · Score: 3, Informative

    ...but Greenpeace has been repeatedly shown to be a horrible organization of eco-terrorists who often don't understand the science behind the things they protest. It got so bad even some of the founders left and renounced all ties to the organization. Patrick Moore in particular left them when they decided it was a good idea to try to push a universal ban of chlorine in drinking water. Moore is also known to have done a complete 180 on nuclear power issues once he educated himself on the matter. He has spoken at length about how the organization has very little in the way of scientific direction.

    So, there very well may be a problem here - but I'd be entirely sceptical of anything Greenpeace has to say about it.

    --
    BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
    1. Re:Not saying there isn't a problem... by PRMan · · Score: 5, Funny

      I was just happy that Greenpeace did something useful for once...

      --
      Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
    2. Re:Not saying there isn't a problem... by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Focusing on the messenger and ignoring the message doesn't make it any less valid.

      i.e.

      Why the fucks was TPP signed in secret in the first place??

    3. Re:Not saying there isn't a problem... by ADRA · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Greenpeace is a group of eco-terrorists? Even by America's stretch of 'terrorism', that much seems a stretch. I'm all about the attirbution though, so if they've commited acts of terror and somehow slipping through the bungling fingers of the FBI, I'd be glad for the clarification.

      --
      Bye!
    4. Re: Not saying there isn't a problem... by servies · · Score: 3, Insightful

      When I see violence and Greenpeace in one sentence, it's always used against them...

    5. Re:Not saying there isn't a problem... by kuzb · · Score: 2

      You're right. We should take everything a group of people who are known to use violence, lies, and junk science to achieve their ends at face value. Excuse me if I prefer to get this sort of information from people who are more reputable.

      --
      BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
    6. Re: Not saying there isn't a problem... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Using the violence and the threat of violence against the corporation is the standard greenpeace tactic.

      FTFY. I know corporation are people in the US, but still...

      By the way, never forget the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior by the French authority. So tell me again, who are the terrorists?

    7. Re:Not saying there isn't a problem... by guises · · Score: 2

      Like the AC said, Patrick Moore wasn't a founder - he was the president of Greenpeace Canada for some years. That's all. Unsurprisingly, Greenpeace has a statement about him.

      It's also worth noting that Greenpeace isn't a monolithic organization. Greenpeace USA is different from Greenpeace Canada and Greenpeace International, etc. GP USA, for example, has a rather poor reputation as a rubber stamp for corporate interests.

    8. Re:Not saying there isn't a problem... by Maritz · · Score: 2

      We should take everything a group of people who are known to use violence, lies, and junk science to achieve their ends at face value.

      The person you're replying to didn't say that. I realise you know that, but I wanna point it out.

      FWIW, Greenpeace are dickheads. I haven't looked at the leak, but I strongly suspect the leak is legitimate.

      You, on the other hand, wanna chuck everything because you don't like Greenpeace, and you're willing to use lame strawman arguments to that effect. Shame.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
  8. The only possible interpretation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    My God, the US is going to implement all of the consumer standards and protections of the EU market and significantly tighten its environmental and job market regulations! It's going to be Heaven/Hell for the American Democrat/Republican!

  9. Re:Since the TPP and TTIP are often mentioned toge by rmdingler · · Score: 2
    We are easily distracted.

    TTIP would put corporations at the center of policy-making, to the detriment of environment and public health."

    Yes. The trade partnership agreement will see corporations at the center of policy making... not like what we have now.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

  10. One thing seems to be true by no-body · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In the US, questionable items, like GMO, fracking, meds, hormons of various kinds etc. are allowed until proven harmful by scientific methods. In EU, questionable items are generally not allowed unless proven harmless by scientific methods (probably not quite true looking at the radioactive waste disposal issue - surely harmful to some extent - has not been resolved there).

    So, who is the test animal?

    Can be gotten from there: https://www.ttip-leaks.org/

    Seems to be only a small part - couple of 100 pages of several thousand, as the whole secrete pile apparently is.
    Why is it secret? Because it is dirty!

       

  11. Re:Since the TPP and TTIP are often mentioned toge by hguorbray · · Score: 3, Insightful

    and once again, like with User Privacy and 'Safe Harbors' for Personal Data it may be up to the EU to save us from the 'Land of the Free' (tm)

    -I'm just sayin'

  12. Re:Could be anything by plopez · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There actually is a conspiracy, corporations vs. humans.

    --
    putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
  13. Re:Since the TPP and TTIP are often mentioned toge by plopez · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why is it funny? Is it funny when your government is corrupt and works against you?

    --
    putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
  14. Completely on-point and useful comment by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 2

    ...but Greenpeace has been repeatedly shown to be a horrible organization of eco-terrorists who often don't understand the science behind the things they protest.

    That's a very important distinction to make, it's completely on-point and relevant to the current discussion.

    We simply *cannot* judge the validity of the TTIP documents without taking their provenance and history of Greenpeace into account!

    Amiright?

  15. Basic problem by mdsolar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Agreement let's corporation sue governments for doing their job and win every time. Makes corporations sovereign and governments unable to act on behalf of their citizens.

  16. Translation, please by jenningsthecat · · Score: 2, Insightful

    FTA:
    The TTIP would "harmonize regulations across a huge range of business sectors, providing a boost to exporters on both sides of the Atlantic"...

    Translation:
    The TTIP would "gut governmental control and oversight in as many business sectors as we can get away with, putting even more power in the hands of corporations and further screwing over average citizens on both sides of the Atlantic..."

    It's amazing how much longer that sentence becomes when you look past the Orwellian euphemisms to what's really being said.

    --
    'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
  17. Re:Greenpeace by bug_hunter · · Score: 2

    Do you believe they forged 248 pages of the TTIP?

    --
    It's turtles all the way down.
  18. Re:Could be anything by prefec2 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Your argument is nuts. But lets assume it is not. The easiest way to defeat the claims made by Greenpeace would be to release the present state of results.

  19. Or by sabbede · · Score: 2

    US regulations may move towards Europe's.

    1. Re:Or by stealth_finger · · Score: 2

      US regulations may move towards Europe's.

      Haha, good one.

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