Do the CETA CHECK
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Stop TTIP | 15 June 2016
Do the CETA CHECK
The European Union is in charge of laws and decisions which affect our daily lives. Most notably, it can negotiate and conclude international trade deals on behalf of the 28 Member States – such as the by now infamous agreements with the US and with Canada: TTIP and CETA.
CETA, the deal with Canada, might look small and innocent compared to its bigger brother TTIP, but it is not less toxic! It will impact every European citizen in one way or another, whether it be through the food consumed or the cost of hospital visits! CETA will lower hard fought-for standards, carve-out democracy and undermine the rule of law.
Why you should worry about CETA? It is at a way more advanced stage than TTIP. After the European Commission finished negotiations with Canada in February, the treaty text will soon be put forward to the 28 trade ministers in the EU-Council and, later this year, to the European Parliament (EP).
The time before these votes is vital in making sure to get out the word about the issues that you care about to the decision makers. Our governments and the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) need to learn what you think about CETA!
It’s time to check out your MEP and ask them inconvenient questions! This is what the CETA Check! is about:
- Find out how your MEP thinks about issues in CETA that matters to you most.
- Make sure they also know the stakes when casting their votes.
- Let them hear what your concerns are and what you think about their positions.
- Find fellow citizens to organise local discussions on CETA – maybe also inviting your MEP.
Bring the debate on CETA out into the public everywhere in Europe – after all, it concerns us all, not just politicians and lobbyist!
Contacting your MEP means asking them questions and joining with others doing the same. When you address your MEP or even decide to meet him/her, citizens all across the EU will also be asking questions or organise such meetings.
The questions in our tool are your questions – we boiled them down to 16 in five thematic groups from the many thousand great suggestions we received from you. Simply choose those questions you care about most and send them to your MEP with a click! Once the MEP has answered, we publish it on the website and you will receive an email so you can rate and share the reply with your friends.
Don’t worry about not being a trade champion. We do this together. Armed with your conviction, passion and common sense you will be a force to be reckoned with!
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PS: You want to let your website’s visitors do the CETA-Check, too? Create your own CETA CHECK widget here within in a few minutes!
