The Guardian published a letter today from the 3 Green MEPs on the postponed TTIP vote in plenary session, Strasbourg this week.  You can read it on The Guardian’s website here

MEPs were to vote on the controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) on Wednesday but it was postponed at the last minute. More than 200 amendments to the report were proposed, and for this reason Martin Schulz, president of the European parliament, called for it to be sent back to the trade committee for further consideration. Undoubtedly the huge public opposition to TTIP was a major influence on the decision.

Greens have long opposed this trade deal as little more than a corporate power grab and certainly not in the public interest. The volume of amendments put forward is an indication of the passion this deal has aroused, the political divisions it has opened up, and the degree of public opposition.

Of particular concern is the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism, potentially allowing corporations to sue governments over any legislation or actions that threaten their profits. We do not believe corporations should have the right to challenge democratic decisions taken in the public interest which serve to safeguard our health, environment, social and labour standards. This is why Greens tabled an amendment calling explicitly for the exclusion of ISDS from TTIP.

A postponement on the opportunity to vote on this critical issue, of such concern to so many people, will not dampen our resolve to safeguard democratic decision-making and hard-fought-for standards.
Jean Lambert MEP
Molly Scott Cato MEP
Keith Taylor MEP
Green party

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The European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) today adopted their opinion to the Committee on International Trade (INTA) resolution on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, known as TTIP. The following amendment, tabled by the UK’s 3 Green MEPs calling for the explicit exclusion of public services from the scope of TTIP was adopted :

 (iv a) to ensure an explicit exclusion of public services as referred to in Article 14 TFEU from the scope of application of TTIP, in order to ensure that national and local authorities have the freedom to introduce, adopt, maintain or repeal any measure with regard to the commissioning, organisation, funding and provision of public services, as provided in Article 168 TFEU (public health) and in Protocol 26 (Services of General Interest) of the EU Treaties.

Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London and a member of the EMPL committee said:

‘I’m conscious of the date and that TTIP could seem like a big April Fools’ being played on Europe’s citizens, unfortunately though it is serious and real. Today, the Committee voted against the inclusion of the Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), and in favour of excluding public services from TTIP. This is a base from which we can hopefully build a parliamentary majority to protect public services, like the NHS, from this trade agreement’.

Jean concluded:

‘Trade should not be seen as an end in itself but a way to protect global labour standards; and in particular to guarantee social, environmental, and workplace standards.’

Pressure from other Parliamentary groups, many of whom abstained from today’s vote, shows that the Greens are successfully fighting these damaging proposals within the Parliament.

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