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Focus on: TTIP leaks & official docs


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US-EU transatlantic trade deal would skip IPRs
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) yesterday released an interim report with the European Union on ways to expand transatlantic trade and investment. But apparently this would not include trying to bridge differences on intellectual property rights.
Push for EU-US FTA could restart discussions about IPRs
The buzz around possible negotiations of a Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) keeps growing, with European politicians pointing to agriculture and intellectual property as controversial topics.
Civil society statement – No copyright in the EU-US trade agreement!
"From a democratic perspective, we believe that important rules governing technology, health, and culture should be debated in the US Congress, the European Parliament, national parliaments, and other transparent forums where all stakeholders can be heard—not in closed negotiations that give privileged access to corporate insiders."
Consumer groups worry US-EU trade pact will weaken health, privacy regulations
US consumer groups raised concerns on Wednesday about the proposed free trade agreement between the US and the EU, which they said could weaken government health, environmental and food safety regulations and undermine privacy on the Internet.
NSA surveillance debate could threaten US-EU trade deal
The furor over U.S. Internet surveillance could hit transatlantic trade. A senior European lawmaker says the revelations could potentially derail plans for a U.S.-EU free trade deal.
The major obstacles to the EU-US free trade deal
Topics where EU and US politicians and stakeholders’ interests clash — such as public procurement, data protection, financial services and agricultural issues like geographical indicators and sanitary and phytosanitary measures – will prove the most problematic during talks.
Toxic trade deal: Friends of the Earth decries industry efforts to weaken regulation of chemicals associated with breast cancer, autism, infertility
Statements made at a US government hearing by the American Chemistry Council, the trade association of multinational chemical companies lobbying for the US-EU trade deal, highlight the risks to public health, report Friends of the Earth
The proposed EU-US free trade agreement and the NHS
This treaty, if passed, would represent an enormous challenge to public-owned health services across Europe.
TTIP: Data is the elephant in the room
Data protection issues have been cut out of the negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, but rivalry between the two trade blocs in the critical booming sector threatens to spoil any deal.
TTIP: Health sector braced for ’damage control’
While EU-US trade talks are expected to generate great economic benefits on both sides of the Atlantic, the impact of a trade agreement on the EU’s healthcare systems will surely be negative, experts warn.
EU-US free trade pact cause of concern for Indian pharma firms
There are apprehensions that TTIP would prevent Indian pharma companies to come to market with the same products - they would need to pass through several rounds of additional tests. As a result, prices will move up significantly.
EU-US trade talks could become ’another Acta’
EU-US free trade talks risk following the same path as Acta, the controversial anti-counterfeit treaty which collapsed in 2012, warns BEUC, a pan-EU organisation representing consumer groups
A TTIP Christmas wish
The European authorities want industry to come up with a counter-narrative to civil society in what would appear to be fear of an ACTA protest Mk2. This was revealed in a cosy Brussels soirée held at the American Chamber of Commerce to discuss the intellectual property content of the EU-US trade agreement known as TTIP.
Move on data protection or fail on TTIP, EU Parliament chair says
On 31 January, there was a stern warning from Elmar Brok, chair of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, that the United States must move quicker on joint data protection standards to avoid failure of the bilateral talks between the EU and the US.
US wants to outlaw EU cloud in TTIP negotiations
Privacy is not on the table in the TTIP negotiations, but data flows are, which brings privacy to the table, explains Ante Wessels of the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII)
Europe tells US to lay off Brie and get its own cheese names
The European Union wants US food makers to stop using names with historical ties to Europe. But what else would you call, say, Parmesan or Brie?
US Senators shocked by EU’s cheese-name claims
In a rare act of bipartisan unity, dozens of US senators have wheeled into action against what they call an "absurd" European initiative that would force name changes to common cheese varieties produced in the United States.
TTIP and the big pharma wish-list
A report by the Commons Network and civil society partners shows that the pharmaceutical industry’s wish list for the TTIP is detrimental for public health, will increase the cost of medicines and undermines democratic processes
Leaked EU analysis of TTIP IPR negotiations
Here is a two-page excerpt from a March 20, 2014 EU analysis of the TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations on intellectual property rights, including geographical indications.
Pirate party: Zombie walk against TTIP in Berlin
German Pirate Party invited everyone for a Zombie Walk to protest against the draft contract of the secretively crafted transatlantic trade agreement (TTIP) in Berlin on Easter Saturday.