A Summary done by a group in Japan is note worthy in that it is written by a country who is part of the TPP and of course the report had not a negative word.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS PROTEST IN BERLIN AGAINST TRANSATLANTIC
TRADE AND INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP DEAL
BERLIN (Reuters) – Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Berlin on Saturday in protest against a planned free trade deal between Europe and the United States that they say is anti-democratic and will lower food safety, labor and environmental standards.
Organizers – an alliance of environmental groups, charities and opposition parties – said 250,000 people were taking part in the rally against free trade deals with both the United States and Canada, far more than they had anticipated.
“This is the biggest protest that this country has seen for many, many years,” Christoph Bautz, director of citizens’ movement Campact told protesters in a speech.
A police spokesman estimated 100,000 people were taking part in the demonstration which has been trouble free so far. There were 1,000 police officers on duty at the march.
Opposition to the so-called Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) has risen over the past year in Germany, with critics fearing the pact will hand too much power to big multinationals at the expense of consumers and workers.
“What bothers me the most is that I don’t want all our consumer laws to be softened,” Oliver Zloty told Reuters TV. “And I don’t want to have a dictatorship by any companies.”
Dieter Bartsch, deputy leader of the parliamentary group for the Left party, who was taking part in the rally said he was concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding the talks. “We definitely need to know what is supposed to be being decided,” he said. Marchers banged drums, blew whistles and held up posters reading “Yes we can – Stop TTIP.”
The level of resistance has taken Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government by surprise and underscores the challenge it faces to turn the tide in favor of the deal which proponents say will create a market of 800 million and serve as a counterweight to China’s economic clout.
In a full-page letter published in several German newspapers on Saturday, Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel warned against “scaremongering”. “We have the chance to set new and goods standards for growing global trade. With ambitious, standards for the environment and consumers and with fair conditions for investment and workers. This must be our aim,” Gabriel wrote.
Businesses hope the trade deal will deliver over $100 billion of economic gains on both sides of the Atlantic. “A fair and comprehensive free trade deal promotes growth and prosperity in Europe. We should actively participate in the rules for world trade of tomorrow,” Ulrich Grillo, head of the BDI Federation of German industries, said in a statement.
TRADE AND INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP DEAL
BERLIN (Reuters) – Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Berlin on Saturday in protest against a planned free trade deal between Europe and the United States that they say is anti-democratic and will lower food safety, labor and environmental standards.
Organizers – an alliance of environmental groups, charities and opposition parties – said 250,000 people were taking part in the rally against free trade deals with both the United States and Canada, far more than they had anticipated.
“This is the biggest protest that this country has seen for many, many years,” Christoph Bautz, director of citizens’ movement Campact told protesters in a speech.
A police spokesman estimated 100,000 people were taking part in the demonstration which has been trouble free so far. There were 1,000 police officers on duty at the march.
Opposition to the so-called Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) has risen over the past year in Germany, with critics fearing the pact will hand too much power to big multinationals at the expense of consumers and workers.
“What bothers me the most is that I don’t want all our consumer laws to be softened,” Oliver Zloty told Reuters TV. “And I don’t want to have a dictatorship by any companies.”
Dieter Bartsch, deputy leader of the parliamentary group for the Left party, who was taking part in the rally said he was concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding the talks. “We definitely need to know what is supposed to be being decided,” he said. Marchers banged drums, blew whistles and held up posters reading “Yes we can – Stop TTIP.”
The level of resistance has taken Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government by surprise and underscores the challenge it faces to turn the tide in favor of the deal which proponents say will create a market of 800 million and serve as a counterweight to China’s economic clout.
In a full-page letter published in several German newspapers on Saturday, Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel warned against “scaremongering”. “We have the chance to set new and goods standards for growing global trade. With ambitious, standards for the environment and consumers and with fair conditions for investment and workers. This must be our aim,” Gabriel wrote.
Businesses hope the trade deal will deliver over $100 billion of economic gains on both sides of the Atlantic. “A fair and comprehensive free trade deal promotes growth and prosperity in Europe. We should actively participate in the rules for world trade of tomorrow,” Ulrich Grillo, head of the BDI Federation of German industries, said in a statement.
Trans Pacific Authority or Trade Promotion Authority
The fast track negotiating authority for trade agreements is the authority of the President of the United States to negotiate international agreements that Congress can approve or disapprove but cannot amend or filibuster. Also called trade promotion authority (TPA)since 2002, fast track negotiating authority is a temporary and controversial power granted to the President by Congress. The authority was in effect from 1975 to 1994, pursuant to the Trade Act of 1974, and from 2002 to 2007 by the Trade Act of 2002. Although it expired for new agreements on July 1, 2007, it continued to apply to agreements already under negotiation until they were eventually passed into law in 2011. In 2012, the Obama administration began seeking renewal of the authority.
Pres. George H. Bush 2001 Free Trade To The Americas Agreement
U.S. General Accounting Office Report
U.S. General Accounting Office Report
This Agreement was a proposed agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers among all countries in the Americas, excluding Cuba and it is essentially an extension of NAFTA. To date as a whole, this agreement has never been passed, but what they have done at various Summit Gatherings, is vote for and agree to portions of the Agreement.
There are currently 34 countries in the Western Hemisphere, stretching from Canada to Chile that still have the FTAA as a long term goal. The Implementation of a full multilateral FTAA between all parties could be made possible by enlargement of existing agreements. North America, with the exception of Cuba and Haiti (which has participated in economic integration with the Caricom since 2002) has come close to setting up a subcontinental free trade area. At this point Agreements within the Area of the Americas include:
Previous agreements:
Canada: Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement (1988; superseded by the NAFTA)
Costa Rica- Dominican Republic (superseded by DR-CAFTA)
Costa Rica- Trinidad and Tobago (superseded by a Costa Rica - CARICOM FTA).
Current agreements:
Canada, Mexico and United States: North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA; 1994)
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and United States: Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA; 2008)
United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement (2004)
United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (2007)
United States-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (2011)
Panama – United States Trade Promotion Agreement (2011)
Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela - Mercosur (1991)
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru - Andean Community (1969)
There are currently 34 countries in the Western Hemisphere, stretching from Canada to Chile that still have the FTAA as a long term goal. The Implementation of a full multilateral FTAA between all parties could be made possible by enlargement of existing agreements. North America, with the exception of Cuba and Haiti (which has participated in economic integration with the Caricom since 2002) has come close to setting up a subcontinental free trade area. At this point Agreements within the Area of the Americas include:
Previous agreements:
Canada: Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement (1988; superseded by the NAFTA)
Costa Rica- Dominican Republic (superseded by DR-CAFTA)
Costa Rica- Trinidad and Tobago (superseded by a Costa Rica - CARICOM FTA).
Current agreements:
Canada, Mexico and United States: North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA; 1994)
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and United States: Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA; 2008)
United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement (2004)
United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (2007)
United States-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (2011)
Panama – United States Trade Promotion Agreement (2011)
Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela - Mercosur (1991)
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru - Andean Community (1969)
|
Bolivia - Mexico
Canada - Chile Canada - Colombia Canada - Costa Rica Canada - Honduras Canada - Panama Canada - Peru |
Chile - Mexico
Chile - Costa Rica Costa Rica - Mexico Costa Rica - CARICOM Mexico - Nicaragua Mexico - Uruguay |
Proposed agreements:
Active negotiations
Canada-CARICOM: Canada-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Free Trade Negotiations
Canada-Central America (CA4TA - Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras) Canada-Central America (CA4TA) Free Trade Negotiations
Canada-United States-Mexico-Peru-Chile [among other Pacific nations]: Trans-Pacific Partnership
Negotiations on hold:
CARICOM-Mercosur: CARICOM bilateral trade agreements
United States-Ecuador: U.S.-Ecuador Free Trade Agreement
CARICOM-North American Free Trade Agreement, first discussed in 1993–1994
Security pacts:
United States-Central America-Mexico (Mérida Initiative)
United States-CARICOM-Dominican Republic (Partnership for Prosperity and Security in the Caribbean)
Canada-Mexico-United States (Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America)
Protection of Broadcasts and Broadcasting Organizations Treaty
Transatlantic Free Trade Area (TAFTA)
Organization of Latin American and Caribbean States (proposed)
Mercosur
Union of South American Nations
Active negotiations
Canada-CARICOM: Canada-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Free Trade Negotiations
Canada-Central America (CA4TA - Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras) Canada-Central America (CA4TA) Free Trade Negotiations
Canada-United States-Mexico-Peru-Chile [among other Pacific nations]: Trans-Pacific Partnership
Negotiations on hold:
CARICOM-Mercosur: CARICOM bilateral trade agreements
United States-Ecuador: U.S.-Ecuador Free Trade Agreement
CARICOM-North American Free Trade Agreement, first discussed in 1993–1994
Security pacts:
United States-Central America-Mexico (Mérida Initiative)
United States-CARICOM-Dominican Republic (Partnership for Prosperity and Security in the Caribbean)
Canada-Mexico-United States (Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America)
Protection of Broadcasts and Broadcasting Organizations Treaty
Transatlantic Free Trade Area (TAFTA)
Organization of Latin American and Caribbean States (proposed)
Mercosur
Union of South American Nations