Transatlantic Free Trade Treaty: a fool’s game? – Point

The tone rises between Europeans and Americans in the negotiations on the Transatlantic Free Trade Treaty (the TTIP, also called Tafta or PTCI *). He “will fail” if the United States does not make concessions, even warned German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel as US President Barack Obama is defending the project in Germany. Europeans accuse indeed the Americans not to play the game: “Americans do not want to open up their public tenders to companies in Europe. This is the opposite of free trade, in my opinion, “denounced the number two in the German government in an interview with business daily Handelsblatt . “If the Americans are sticking to this position, we do not need free trade treaty. And TTIP will fail. “

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A warning issued while Obama opens Sunday with Chancellor Angela Merkel industrial Hanover fair, High Mass of the “made in Germany” which showcases the two leaders to defend the draft agreement meet their skeptical publics. And Monday in New York opens a new round of negotiations on the TTIP, the 13th since 2013. Officially, Washington, as Berlin is an agreement this year, but the differences seem difficult to overcome by the end of ‘year. The American position is to just “buy American” in this treaty, which is “not acceptable”, says Gabriel. A statement that joins that had made the French Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Matthias Fekl, who last week warned that France would not sign an agreement “on the cheap”.

Canadian wolf in sheep

in an interview (fee) to Mediapart, the Green MEP Yannick Jadot denounced double standards on the part of European leaders, “Americans have a strategic vision of their industry through government procurement, while Europe is the only commercial entity in the world to chose what is called the default opening its markets [public markets are open to foreign investors, without exception, Ed] . (…) Basically, what Holland want Valls and Fekl today is that Americans are as stupid as the Europeans, they fully open their procurement markets to European companies. They seem to play the anti-globalization, but why they do it, that’s the worst of silly liberalism today, “the MP had struck the MEP.

Other stumbling block to the German Minister, the delicate question of private arbitration tribunals that would allow private companies to attack more easily States, as was done for example Philip Morris against Australia, which adopted a very tough legislation against smoking. “I will approve any treaty which provides a private arbitration court,” warned Sigmar Gabriel. On this point, the Obama administration was keen to show open to alternative.

But she plays on velvet. Indeed, the transatlantic treaty may hide another: the comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA, or CETA) with Canada, which should be submitted for final signature at the beginning 2017, and provides for the creation of a Court of investments that may be referred to investor complaints. For MEP Yannick Jadot, if “elements have been improved, the principle is exactly the same: private investors can still attack the States when they make decisions on the environment, health, social rights. (…) These are just cosmetic changes from the legal background break is played. Especially that there are 40,000 US companies will be able to go through their subsidiary based in Canada to attack Europe “

* Tafta. Trans Atlantic Free Trade agreement; TTIP: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; PTCI: Transatlantic Partnership on Trade and Investment .