The Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA)
Negotiations are underway between the United States and the European Union (EU) for the Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA). This trade deal is a Trojan Horse for eliminating many of the strongest public protections in the U.S. and the E.U.
The focus on eliminating so-called “trade irritants” through “harmonization” policies could have a tremendously negative impact on our regulatory system — overriding long-supported safeguards that protect our well-being and safety. In particular, TAFTA would invite corporations to sue governments, give industry more power to influence policy-making, impose additional cost-benefit analysis requirements and drive down broadly accepted regulatory norms.
Strikingly, the elimination of “trade irritants” could have a sweeping and destructive deregulatory impact. Big businesses would be in a position to dismantle laws and standards addressing food safety, toxic chemicals, climate pollution, energy, privacy, financial stability, consumer labeling, drug and medical device safety and testing, competition, emerging technology, as well as a variety of consumer and environmental protections.
What is perhaps most concerning is that citizens have no way of knowing the details of these trade negotiations. While executives from some of the most powerful multinational corporations whisper into the ears of negotiators, ordinary citizens remain in the dark, excluded from the process. Concerned citizens and members of the public interest community cannot hold a meaningful debate on the proposed policies because they remain hidden from public view.
The bottom line is that this trade agreement could leave Americans and Europeans stuck with much weaker public safeguards and would put corporate interests ahead of the health and safety of citizens.
CSS Resources
TAFTA: Bogus Claims About Economic Gains
Fact Sheet: July 3, 2014
TAFTA: Bankers’ Backdoor Plan to Roll Back Wall Street Reform
Fact Sheet: July 3, 2014
TAFTA: Empowering Corporations to Bypass Domestic Courts
Fact Sheet: July 3, 2014
TAFTA: A Backdoor to Genetically Modified Food
Fact Sheet: July 3, 2014
TAFTA: A Backdoor for Food Contamination
Fact Sheet: July 3, 2014
TAFTA: A Backdoor Plan to Roll Back Clean Energy Policies
Fact Sheet: July 3, 2014
Groups Oppose Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA)
Letter to Trade Representatives: May 12, 2014
The Serious Threats Posed by TAFTA
Public Symposium: December 17, 2013
Top 10 Threats of the Trans-Atlantic Trade Deal to Americans’ Daily Lives
Report: November 2013
Letter to Heads of State Opposing the Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) – Additional Signatories
Letter to Heads of State: November 11, 2013
Letter to Heads of State Opposing the Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA)
Letter to Heads of State: July 8, 2013
CSS Comment on the Proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Agreement
Letter to Trade Representative: May 10, 2013
TAFTA and Regulatory Harmonization: A Critical New Front in the Battle for Sensible Safeguards
Public Symposium: April 18, 2013
Resources from Members and Affiliates
Following Report That U.S. Trade Representative Asked NSA for Spying Help, Trade Policy Advocates Ask if They’re Being Spied on
Public Citizen, Press Release: November 12, 2013
Trans-Atlantic Trade Symposium
Sierra Club: July 9, 2013
EU and US Consumer Groups’ Initial Reaction to the Announcement of a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue, Letter to Trade Representatives: March 5, 2013
Consumers at the Heart of International Trade: TACD Statement on the Future of EU-US Trade and Economic Relations
Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue, Press Release: March 5, 2013
Brewing Storm Over ISDR Clouds Trans-Pacific Partnership Talks
Public Citizen: January 7, 2013
Experts
Attacks by Foreign Corporations on Local, State and Federal Policies
Robert Weissman, President, Public Citizen, rweissman@citizen.org, 202-588-1000
Ilana Solomon, Trade Representative, Sierra Club, ilana.solomon@sierraclub.org, 202-547-1141
Lori Wallach, Global Trade Watch Director, Public Citizen, lwallach@citizen.org, 202-546-4996
Rollback of Financial Reforms
Ed Mierzwinski, Consumer Program Director, U.S. PIRG, edm@pirg.org, 202-546-9707 x314
Micah Hauptman, Financial Policy Counsel, Public Citizen, mhauptman@citizen.org, 202-546-4996
Food Safety
Chris Waldrop, Director, Food Policy Institute, cwaldrop@consumerfed.org, 202-387-6121
Tony Corbo, Senior Lobbyist, Food and Water Watch, tcorbo@fwwatch.org, 202-683-2500
Monique Goyens, Director General, The European Consumer Organization (BEUC), communications@beuc.eu, directorsoffice@beuc.eu, 0032 (0) 2 789 24 01
Unlabeled, Genetically Modified Food
Lori Wallach, Global Trade Watch Director, Public Citizen, lwallach@citizen.org, 202-546-4996
Tony Corbo, Senior Lobbyist, Food and Water Watch, tcorbo@fwwatch.org, 202-683-2500
Marco Contiero, EU Policy Director on Agriculture, Greenpeace EU, mcontier@greenpeace.org, 022741906
Environment & Climate
Ilana Solomon, Trade Representative, Sierra Club, ilana.solomon@sierraclub.org, 202-547-1141
Baskut Tuncak, Staff Attorney and Chemist, Center for International Environmental Law, btuncak@ciel.org, 202-785-8700
Magda Stoczkiewicz, Director, Friends of the Earth Europe, magda.stoczkiewicz@foeeurope.org, +32 2 893 1001
Medicine Safety and Access
Celia Wexler, Senior Washington Representative, Center for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists, cwexler@ucsusa.org, 202-223-6133
Peter Maybarduk, Global Access to Medicines Director, Public Citizen, pmaybarduk@citizen.org, 202-588-1000
Digital Privacy
Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection, Consumer Federation of America, sgrant@consumerfed.org, 202-387-6121
Jeffrey Chester, Executive Director, Center for Digital Democracy, jeff@democraticmedia.org, 202-986-2220
Anna Fielder, Co-founder and Senior Policy Advisor, TACD, fielderana@blueyonder.co.uk, +44 7974-923-429
Monique Goyens, Director General, The European Consumer Organization (BEUC), communications@beuc.eu, directorsoffice@beuc.eu, 0032 (0) 2 789 24 01
Buy Local Rules (Buy American, Food, Climate)
Celeste Drake, Trade and Globalization Policy Specialist, AFL-CIO, cdrake@aflcio.org, 202-637-5344
Karen Hansen-Kuhn, International Program Director, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, khansenkuhn@iatp.org, 1-202-222-0749
Katy Ozer, National Family Farm Coalition, kozer@nffc.net, 202-543-5675
William Waren, wwaren@foe.org, (202) 222-0746
Dangerous Toys
Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and Senior Counsel, Consumer Federation of America, rweintraub@consumerfed.org, 202-939-1012
Ami Gadhia, Senior Policy Analyst, Consumer’s Union, agadhia@consumer.org, 202-462-6262 x1109