EU Commission wants to wipe out citizens’ involvement in TTIP and CETA Stop TTIP
EU Commission wants to wipe out citizens’ involvement in TTIP and CETA
September 11th, 2014
The Stop-TTIP Alliance, initiator of a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) against the TTIP and CETA international trade & investment agreements, today announced its opposition to the European Commission’s decision to block the ECI.
“Now the battle really begins,” said Michael Efler, contact person of the ECI, which currently represents almost 230 organizations from 21 EU countries. “The rejection of the ECI only confirms the Commission’s strategy to exclude citizens and parliaments from the TTIP and CETA negotiations. Instead of paying attention to citizens, it is just lobbyists that are being listened to.”
In its rejection of the ECI, the European Commission claims that the negotiating mandates on TTIP and CETA are not legal acts but internal preparatory acts between EU institutions and therefore not contestable via an ECI.
