NEW YORK (Sputnik) — The 13th round of EU-US talks on the TTIP deal will conclude today. Negotiations on the TTIP agreement have been ongoing since 2013.
"It is clear that again and again, perspectives of civil society are ignored," Weissman said on Thursday on the sidelines of the 13th round of TTIP negotiations in New York City.
Weissman, who represents a coalition of more than 60 civil society groups that oppose the TTIP, pointed out US trade representatives failed to timely inform civil society of the opportunity to present ideas to stakeholders, ultimately making it impossible for them to participate.
"The notice given was frankly absurd. We were first informed of the negotiation round on April 13 with a deadline of April 20. Our ability to reach out to our own member base of organizations and inform them that this opportunity was available was steeply hindered," Weissman stated.
He added that part of the reason for the short notice was to prevent public protest, as was the case in Europe on April 23, when thousands of protestors marched through the streets of the German city of Hanover to say "No" to the TTIP and the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
"It’s a reflection of the fact that social movements cannot necessarily organize mass demonstrations with a week or two notice," Weissman explained, adding that only five civil society groups advocating against TTIP were allowed to participate during the latest round of negotiations in New York City.
The TTIP deal has drawn severe criticism for the lack of transparency in the negotiations as well as for the tremendous power it would potentially give to international corporations.
Moreover, the TTIP has also been slammed for bypassing the framework of the World Trade Organization and excluding the BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa] countries. Leaked details of the TTIP deal show that it will likely undermine existing environmental, health, safety and labor standards.
Trade Justice New York Metro is a coalition of organizations working together in opposition to unfair trade deals. The coalition includes groups ranging from environmental watchdogs to food advocacy groups.
