TTIP and EU-India “Secret Trade Talks”: Big Business Setting Policy behind Closed Doors
On Thursday 4 June, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on
an appeal taken by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) against the
European Commission for withholding information related to the EU’s
trade talks with India. The documents in question were deemed
‘sensitive’ and ‘confidential’ when access was requested by CEO in the
public interest. The Commission was accused of discriminating in favour
of corporate lobby groups and of violating the EU’s transparency rules.
The Court has however ruled against CEO. The decision risks deepening the secrecy shrouding EU trade policy.
CEO appealed a decision on the original lawsuit that
concerned 17 documents – including meeting reports, emails and a letter
– related to the ongoing EU-India free trade negotiations. The original
lawsuit was filed by CEO in 2011. The Commission shared all of these
documents in full with corporate lobby groups such as BusinessEurope.
However, CEO only received censored versions, with allegedly sensitive
information about priorities, tactics and strategies in the negotiations
deleted. CEO contended that documents already shared with business
lobbies could not then be declared ‘sensitive’ or ‘confidential’ when a
public interest group asks for their disclosure.
