More on TTIP from SumOf Us:
Environmental standards, workers’ right and food hygiene are all under the chopping block with TTIP. And even worse: these incredibly sensitive policy areas are being negotiated away in secret -- so far only lobbyists of the big corporations have had access to EU lawmakers.
But this is about to change. The European Ombudsman -- the place where European citizens can lodge complaints about EU politics -- has opened a formal investigation into TTIP and its lack of transparency following pressure from civil society. We have only 7 days left to write to the Ombudsman and let her know how we feel about our rights being negotiated away in a secret trade deal.While lobbyists of the big corporations from Monsanto to Nestle to Exxon Mobile have been going in and out of meetings with lawmakers in Brussels, ordinary citizens are often standing in front of closed doors. That has to change!We need actual citizens’ participation in a process that is going to affect our lives as profoundly as the TTIP. We need true access -- to the negotiating documents, the meeting reports and full transparency about which lobbyists are meeting with European lawmakers.Here is what you need to do: write an email to the European Ombudsman to demand full transparency about the TTIP and in particular the comings and goings of corporate lobbyists. It will only take a few minutes but it will be totally worthwhile.Here are some talking points you could use for your email:
- The EU should be extremely open and transparent and immediately release all information on the TTIP negotiations, especially when it concerns areas such as environmental standards, workers’ rights and health and safety.
- The EU should lay open all communication between lobbyists of big business. Sadly, so far business had way more access to negotiations than normal citizens. That needs to change.
- The EU should release a list of all the meetings that corporations have had with lawmakers.
Remember: the more personal your message, the more likely it will be read by the Ombudsman.The leaders of the European Union are starting to really feel the people’s discontent with this secret trade deal. And this is also thanks to you. Thousands of SumOfUs members complained to the EU Commission about corporations being able to sue governments -- the ISDS clause in TTIP. Many of you have chipped in to support our TTIP work and the development of the European Citizens’ Initiative. Now is the time to keep up the pressure!Thanks for all you do,Anne, Hannah, and the team at SumOfUsMore information:
