TTIP EU-US talks: Baby steps towards transparency for controversial negotiations but more needed say Greens

A proposal to make the negotiating texts of the EU-US TTIP* trade negotiations available to all MEPs, which was adopted last week by the European Commission, was presented in the European Parliament on 25 November.

Commenting on the development, Green trade spokesperson Yannick Jadot (pictured) said: "Giving elected members of the European Parliament access to TTIP negotiating texts is another welcome if overdue, step for improving the transparency of these controversial negotiations. The Greens have been pushing for this and the move is a vindication of our efforts. However, instead of baby steps, what we need is full transparency. This implies making all texts fully public. If, as is often claimed, there is nothing to hide, then we should not be hiding these important documents from the public.

"The devil is in the detail and it is only by scrutinizing the detail in these negotiating documents that those not directly involved in the negotiations can know where these devils lie. There is a large and growing sense of unease and concern among the European public and civil society about the ongoing TTIP negotiations. This concern reflects the broad scope of the negotiations and their possible implications on European standards, and is reinforced by the opaque negotiation process. We need to be sure those negotiating on the EU's behalf do not budge an inch on EU standards and full transparency is key in this regard. Instead of bending over to US demands, the EU's negotiators should be responding to the demands of EU citizens."

*TTIP - Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. For more detailed information on the Greens/EFA campaign on TTIP, click here.

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