The mechanism of blackmail that multinationals can exploit against of host states

The Transatlantic Partnership on Trade and Investment (TTIP) is a free trade agreement being negotiated between the U.S. and the EU. It is an agreement that has the potential to bring together in a single area of ​​free market economic blockade liner, which represents 50% of global GDP, 33% of international trade in goods and a very large chunk of foreign direct investment incoming and outgoing calls according to a study by the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University. According to estimates by the European Commission, in addition, the EU and the U.S. GDP would benefit from an average annual increase of 0.4% and 0.5% respectively.

However, the negotiations that have been going on a year now - and they seem to having to continue for another couple of years, according to the most optimistic estimates - have been held with the utmost discretion and wrapped in a silence unusual for agreements of this magnitude. This secrecy has been one of the critical elements of the Treaty by the left during the campaign for the European elections, the Green candidate Franziska Keller, who has defined this process as an example of lack of transparency in decision-making in Europe and the European Left that has included opposition to the TTIP in the electoral program. Further criticisms have come from the trade unions - all of the CGIL in the Italian - who question the lack of involvement of the social partners in the face of more active involvement of economic and financial lobby. The fear of the opposition is to see changed labor standards, occupational and environmental objectives in a pejorative or otherwise overly permissive.

With regard to the stated objectives, the European Commission and the Institute for International Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Italian bring to the fore the elimination of customs barriers and - most importantly - no customs, because customs duties between the U.S. and EU levels skim insignificant. Also according to these agencies, they would not be on the health or environmental regulations to be touched - as these are the result of the intra-European agreements and regulatory changes that should pass the scrutiny of governments and / or the European Parliament - but that would mainly changes on the controls and quality standards, which would be harmonized to prevent unnecessary expense in time and money to exporting companies. However, it added that any changes to the legislation will be made, where necessary, by legislative bodies in Europe for adjustments to the forecasts of the TTIP - hence the widespread fear among the left that free trade will lead to a decrease in environmental protection and occupational .

A further element of conflict is the possibility of predicting the system ISDS Agreement, which allows companies to start process EU chief negotiator Bercero and U.S. chief negotiator Mullaney address to a joint news conference in Brussels against state entities "host" in the if the latter had - even through the adoption of laws - violated the rights of companies under the Treaties. According to the proponents of the mechanism, it is a system that allows companies to operate in the absolute certainty of the application of the principles expressed in the free trade treaties, while opponents pointed out as the mechanism of blackmail that multinationals can exploit against of host states, taking as an example the case of countries - including Australia - have to repay large chains and / or corporations for economic damages caused also by laws protecting labor.

In summary, this is an agreement by the great economic potential for the forces contractors. However, there is little transparency in the process and role of democratically elected institutions - see the European Parliament - is negligible, if not nil. To thwart the opposition's lack of guarantee on the health and environmental regulations, as well as occupational ones (which, however, are mainly undertaken at national level). Out of these, in fact, guarantees are only oral and they match the EU's commitment to amend the legislation - if necessary - to harmonize the TTIP without action limits defined, the element that makes the opposition skeptical on the effective protection of the law above listed.

Scepticism about the TTIP is high, but public information on it - as ridiculous - is on the rise. Because the partnership is present as actually useful to all democratic and consistent information is required along with the broad involvement of democratically elected institutions and the social partners.