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Critics and supporters of Atlantic and Pacific trade deals gird for battle
CRITICS and supporters of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in Europe and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP) in the US are girding for battle this year.
In Europe, to defuse criticism of leftist and special interest protectionists, who say the EU-US free trade deal is a secret big business plot against workers, the European Union has made public confidential papers to disprove such charges.
"There are lots of myths and misconceptions floating around about what we want to achieve and what is not in the agreement," said EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, Reuters reported.
But critics remain unconvinced because much of the deal, which would come into force next year, is still secret and will stay that way.
Critics, who have joined the "Stop TTIP" movement, say an accord will undermine European food and environmental laws and allow US multinationals to do as they please.
European Parliamentary Green Party deputy leader Ska Keller said the transparency initiative remains "a paper tiger" and that the accord is still being negotiated behind Europeans' backs.
But Ms Malmstrom defended the decision not to release more papers, particularly on sensitive areas such as tariffs, where EU officials have said they want to protect European beef farmers.
"You need to have a certain secrecy," she said.
Meanwhile, American supporters and critics of free trade gird for battle over free trade deals with a focus on the more immediate 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is about to take a fast track through a trade friendly Republican controlled Congress.
A bill to give the White House fast-track power, allowing Congress a yes-or-no vote on trade deals in exchange for setting negotiating goals, did not advance in the last Congress, but new legislation will be introduced soon.
The American left, unions, progressive lawmakers, consumer advocates, environmentalists and social justice and human rights lobbyists will campaign against it.
Said Connecticut Democrat Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro: "It's the start of the new Congress and we are up, up and away - the whole nine yards of activity."
Said US Chamber of Commerce international policy director Christopher Wenk: "We are going to be putting on a major campaign getting trade promotion done. It's going to be around the clock."
Senior officials are reaching out to Democrats on trade, preparing a snapshot for each state spelling out how each will gain under the TPP, focussing leftist and labour and environmental issues.
"TPP will be the most progressive trade agreement in history," a US Trade Representative spokesman said.
In Europe, to defuse criticism of leftist and special interest protectionists, who say the EU-US free trade deal is a secret big business plot against workers, the European Union has made public confidential papers to disprove such charges.
"There are lots of myths and misconceptions floating around about what we want to achieve and what is not in the agreement," said EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, Reuters reported.
But critics remain unconvinced because much of the deal, which would come into force next year, is still secret and will stay that way.
Critics, who have joined the "Stop TTIP" movement, say an accord will undermine European food and environmental laws and allow US multinationals to do as they please.
European Parliamentary Green Party deputy leader Ska Keller said the transparency initiative remains "a paper tiger" and that the accord is still being negotiated behind Europeans' backs.
But Ms Malmstrom defended the decision not to release more papers, particularly on sensitive areas such as tariffs, where EU officials have said they want to protect European beef farmers.
"You need to have a certain secrecy," she said.
Meanwhile, American supporters and critics of free trade gird for battle over free trade deals with a focus on the more immediate 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is about to take a fast track through a trade friendly Republican controlled Congress.
A bill to give the White House fast-track power, allowing Congress a yes-or-no vote on trade deals in exchange for setting negotiating goals, did not advance in the last Congress, but new legislation will be introduced soon.
The American left, unions, progressive lawmakers, consumer advocates, environmentalists and social justice and human rights lobbyists will campaign against it.
Said Connecticut Democrat Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro: "It's the start of the new Congress and we are up, up and away - the whole nine yards of activity."
Said US Chamber of Commerce international policy director Christopher Wenk: "We are going to be putting on a major campaign getting trade promotion done. It's going to be around the clock."
Senior officials are reaching out to Democrats on trade, preparing a snapshot for each state spelling out how each will gain under the TPP, focussing leftist and labour and environmental issues.
"TPP will be the most progressive trade agreement in history," a US Trade Representative spokesman said.
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