quite a way from the truth. Here are a couple of things to consider when trying to assess the benefits of TTIP. Five rea
FIVE REASONS NOT TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR ABOUT TTIP
Five reasons not to believe everything you hear about TTIP Here are a few things you might have read about TTIP. We don’t think they tell the whole story – some need a bit more explaining, and others are quite a way from the truth. Here are a couple of things to consider when trying to assess the benefits of TTIP.
SOME PEOPLE SAY:
BUT, DID YOU KNOW?
TTIP only benefits large multinational businesses.
TTIP stands to benefit businesses of all sectors and size, especially our small & medium sized businesses and everyday customers.
Small & mid-sized businesses stand to benefit the most from TTIP.
• TTIP will deliver tariff cuts, reduced red tape and smoother customs procedures that will be particularly significant for our exporting small businesses who often lack the time, budget and in-house experts to deal with trade roadblocks. • TTIP will also help to boost exports for the 4 out of 5 British small and medium sized businesses that don’t currently trade overseas, by opening up access to 300 million new customers on top of the 500 million in the EU single market. • T TIP makes it easier and cheaper for businesses to trade and everyday customers will benefit from this too. Jeans, for example, could be up to ten pounds cheaper as a result of reduced tariffs and less red tape.
SOME PEOPLE SAY:
BUT, DID YOU KNOW?
TTIP is a ‘secret’ deal between the EU and the US with no public scrutiny.
You can access TTIP negotiating texts online, get involved with public consultations, and even interact with the EU’s Trade Commissioner directly.
All European Commission TTIP texts and consultation results are published online.
• The European Commission has made draft EU negotiating texts publicly available online, and consults with the public regularly. The results of all of its public consultation and engagement are also published online. • Like all EU Commissioners, Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström’s diary is available online and the frequently updated @MALMSTROMEU and @EU_TTIP team alone have 35k and 17.5k followers able to engage directly in the debate. • TTIP is closely scrutinised by EU Member States and the European Parliament, who are not only able to access to all restricted documents, but will also have to vote on any proposed deal before it can be agreed.
SOME PEOPLE SAY: TTIP will weaken the EU’s regulation & standards.
US regulation rarely differs from the EU’s own framework.
BUT, DID YOU KNOW? Assurances have been made by the European Commission that TTIP will keep our high levels of protection on health, safety and the environment. • EU regulations are respected globally for protecting consumer interests, and duplicate red tape will only be eliminated where the US already meets these standards.
• US regulations are also of a high standard, and rarely differ from the EU’s own frameworks. Often, differences are a result of a different approach, and not different outcomes. • Given the global and economic weight of the EU and US, improved regulatory co-operation in TTIP will encourage other trading partners to follow suit, raising the bar across all our imported products and services in the long-run.
SOME PEOPLE SAY: TTIP will allow big companies to sue the UK government for millions.
The government’s right to regulate in the public interest will not be affected.
BUT, DID YOU KNOW? TTIP is designed to allow British businesses to protect themselves from unfair and unjustified actions by regimes abroad – not to arbitrarily sue the government. • This misconception refers to Investor-State Dispute Settlement, or ‘ISDS’ rules, which provide essential protections for British businesses against unjustified government actions abroad.
• These unjustified behaviours range from discrimination, to abusive treatment and expropriation, and the Commission has made explicit assurances that a government’s ordinary right to regulate in the public interest will not be affected. • In fact, there are 90 plus investment agreements that have helped to protect British investments around the world since 1975, with only two ISDS being brought against the UK – neither succeeded.
BUT, DID YOU KNOW?
SOME PEOPLE SAY:
The EU and US negotiating teams have both confirmed that “no EU or US trade agreement requires governments to privatise any service” – including the NHS.
TTIP will force privatisation of the NHS.
• The EU’s Chief Negotiator for TTIP, Ignacio Garcia Bercero, has made formal and direct assurances to the UK government that the NHS will be “fully safeguarded” in TTIP. • TTIP won’t change EU member states’ existing right to control market access to their public services, even if they have previously been supplied by private companies. • This follows the precedent set by previous EU free trade agreements like EU-Korea and EU-Canada which include clear reservations for public services like the NHS.
The NHS will be fully safeguarded in TTIP.
For further information on this document, or for a copy in large text format contact: Tom Sallis Senior policy adviser T: +32 (0)2 286 1131 E:
[email protected]
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