+1

As a student of the EU and having first-hand experience seeing how things are done in the EP, I will be the first to criticise many aspects of how decisions are taken at the European level (although I wish to make it perfectly clear that the national level is not any better and only served as inspiration).

Having said that, the video posted is full of BS. First of all, it is before the Juncker Commission was sworn in. Cecilia Malstrom, a Swedish politician that was previously responsible for home affairs and is not shy of providing a critical, "left" viewpoint, has now taken over the negotiations. Furthermore, following the pressure from the EU omburdman, Emily O'Reilly (who is kicking all kinds of ass in making sure Europe becomes more transparent), more documents than ever have become accessible to the public. The Commission even proposed the creation of worldwide investment courts that would replace ISDS, although the US has rejected this proposal (we shall see how it will evolve).

All in all, there has never been a trade negotiation that was conducted in a more open manner. Will business interests be represented? Of course, they have as much to win or lose as everyone else. But does that mean that civil society does not have a voice in the negotiations? Far from it.

So if anyone has any question, do ask. I will be glad to provide answers as best I can.

With all the FUD surrounding this deal it's welcome change to see someone who can provide some reliable information. What is this deal about anyway? All I hear from the other side is that corporations will gain lot of control over governments and some concerns regarding people's privacy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4OQeekSD6s

de_Monteynard has clearly no fucking idea what he is talking about. Do not believe him. Inform yourself! The european standards and rights are at stake. You cannot trust corporations. Speak to educated people outside the Internet.

http://en-2.know-ttip.eu/know-ttip-home/
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/European_Union_Stop_TAFTA_TTIP/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd3Av2lBMJE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvo2OJ6ttT4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEUKQLyi458

TTIP or the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is a proposed FTA (free-trade agreement) between the United States of America and the European Union (which is represented by the European Commission in all trade negotiations). The intention of this proposal is to remove all tariffs (ie. you would only pay for the price of the product and transport, without paying any extra tax that states usually impose on trade), as well as to move froward in some of the more advanced areas of commerce (facilitation of trade, government procurement and investment) and even bringing regulatory policies of the USA and EU closer.

It is mostly the later than has become one of the major problems for TTIP negotiators. Simply put, the idea is to make certain that FUTURE (no retroactivity) regulation becomes more "compatible". To give a more concrete example, EU car companies need to change their products for the American market and vice-versa. This would not mean weaker standards, just less of a difference between them. Of course, this has raised concerns over GMO, chlorinated chicken and other "nasty" stuff from the USA coming to Europe because of their lower standards. It has also raised concerns that how the process is currently envisioned will slow down or even prevent the adoption of higher standards of protection in Europe (you can read an opinion piece from the civil society here).

The other important issue is the so-called Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). It was originally meant to protect investors in countries where rule of law is weak and where any government could change the rules in order to create benefits for itself or its native companies. It has, nevertheless, also given rise to some nasty cases of litigation, with companies from a developed country suing another developed country for adopting higher levels of standards or trying to protect the health of its citizens (you can read more about such cases ). In response to the public outcry, the European Commission launched public consultations and has, as a result, recently proposed that international investment arbitration courts be established that would be more open ([url=https://euobserver.com/news/128588]article), but that has so-far been rejected by the US.

As concerns internet privacy, that is mostly TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership), which is more wide-ranging in certain areas and to my current knowledge, also contains proposals that were rejected in ACTA (Wiki article). With all due respect, I dare say I know what the hell I am talking about. The MEP I interned with, was for a short time before the end of the previous EP mandate the EPP representative in the negotiations in environmental matters. Guess who went over all the TTIP documentation and made briefings for her? I also regularly follow all developments and have shown that I recognise the problems that come with TTIP negotiations.

Regardless, I welcome your contributions. The more information citizens have, the more informed their decisions can be.

For the international readers. We germans are crazy. There is "German Angst" everywhere. Most of the people in germany are really afraid of TTIP and for all the wrong reasons. One of the mascots of the german Against-TTIP movement are "evil" US chlorine chickens and one of the main groups against it is Anonymous and they produce propaganda videos linke the ones linked in this thread.

Talk to activists. Do not believe anyone that tells you everything is 1A ok. In the german gog.com forum I was confronted with a paper that the EU Commission released, and where all issues with TTIP are proven wrong. The point is, I could provide all informations that every point within that EU-paper is clearly wrong and 100% made up.
This is not a conspiracy, it is simply a bunch of very influential big corporations and banks and a couple of corrupt EU politicians trying to put their profit interests above your head. TTIP will provide several legislative tools in order to dodge existing laws that protects environment, consumers, workers and so forth.. Search for Facts. Form your own opinion.

DON'T WATCH THIS! :O it has subliminal messages to make you dumb.. :(

I'm sorry, but that statement is most certainly untrue.

I fail to see how Cecilia Malmström provides a critical, yet even "left" viewpoint as you said, considering the fact that she is a member of the Folkpartiet liberalerna (Liberal People's Party), a neoliberal, centre-right party, which in the EU is part of ALDE, also liberal. They were and are among the first to support TTIP unequivocally.

Also, look at this article, co-written by her, how she is "critical" towards TTIP (e.g. not at all):

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/feb/16/ttip-transatlantic-trade-deal-businesses

Most of the left parties in the EU, not counting the social democrats (which are only formally "left", barely anything in their policies indicates that), are opposing TTIP.

Also, you talk about trade negotioations never been more open, yet you fail to mention that most documents got leaked and therefore were "open" to the public. Those 2015 officially released documents (certainly not all of them - also why is there no termination clause whatsoever?) got released after the public outcry got louder and louder.

One key argument from EU politicians arguing for TTIP is that it will generate jobs... well, according to this US-university, it will cost around 600.000 jobs across the EU:

http://www.ase.tufts.edu/gdae/policy_research/TTIP_simulations.html
Short version: http://ase.tufts.edu/gdae/Pubs/wp/14-03CapaldoTTIP_ES.pdf
Long version: http://ase.tufts.edu/gdae/Pubs/wp/14-03CapaldoTTIP.pdf

The ISDS-clause alone would be reason enough to suspend the negotiations, given the fact that with it, corporations could sue (especially smaller) EU-member states into bankruptcy. Or should scenarios like this also become daily routine in the EU?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Morris_v._Uruguay

Seeing as you seem to be from Slovenia (if that's true), a country smaller than the combined US prison population, this should be a great concern to you.

I'm also curious, and because you mentioned it to prove your point, so I'm asking you:
Would you mind writing us what exactly are you studying, which MEP you interned with, what political direction you lean towards and finally, what your position is on TTIP?

Thanks in advance!

There is much opposition towards TTIP for a reason, therefore:
https://stop-ttip.org/

Please add your Bank account, a Photo ID and the Social Security Number.

Are you kidding?

I am just baffled that no one called this video out as blatent propaganda, Its like this:

"See an image of Monsato"

Gasp Monstato is evil they poison our food :P

And I hate it when they show stupid things like scenes from Movies like The Wolf of Wall Street and The Big Lebowski.

Just talk to me straight about this TTIP instead of being a making a snaky clever video that comes off as propaganda.

I for one welcome our new titty IP. It's one of my favourite IPs currently available.

Or I can be a hipster and move to Russia or China. And least they are honest with their human rights violations.

Just T TIP?