Robert Reich on the Real Reason the Corporate-Friendly TPP Is Nearly Dead

[Divernan]

28. 2.1 Mil. EU citizens petitioned to & did stop TTIP cold last week.

TTIP is the United States-European Union Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Organized opposition by various far-left, far-right and Green political parties, fueled by the aforesaid 2.1 million signatures in opposition to the deal blocked approval. The deal isn't totally dead - supporters will try to resurrect it next fall, but with 2.1 million on-line signatures and growing opposed, it's unlikely the EU Parliament, which has the power to reject any final deal, will be able to pass a resolution supporting it.

The EU parliamentary debate process on resolutions allows amendments (no Fast Track crap). When a resolution supporting TTIP was brought up for a vote, over 200 amendments were immediately proposed, in effect killing the deal.

http://www.euractiv.com/sections/trade-society/divided-eu-parliament-postpones-vote-ttip-315265

The European Parliament failed on Tuesday (9 June) to agree a unified stance on a proposed trade deal with the United States, postponing a vote that was meant to cement its support for the biggest accord of its kind.

The failure to agree on a resolution meant that the Parliament would merely debate the proposed deal in Strasbourg on Wednesday, but not hold a vote, highlighting the growing doubts in the European Union about its benefits.

Negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which would encompass a third of world trade, are still under way but, because the Parliament has the power to reject any final deal, it must set out its position during the process.

EU lawmakers preparing the resolution received more than 200 proposed amendments, meaning it was highly unlikely to pass, prompting parliament president Martin Schulz to postpone the vote to avoid the public embarrassment of having the resolution defeated.

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/brent-patterson/2015/06/european-parliament-vote-on-eu-us-free-trade-deal-postponed

Deutsche Welle adds,

EU parliament postpones TTIP trade deal vote

The European Parliament should have been taking a first vote on the controversial TTIP trade agreement with the United States. But 200 proposed amendments and a 2 million signature petition have caused a delay.
"The Socialist group in the European Parliament insisted on excluding a controversial mechanism for resolving disputes with investors from the trade deal. ...The USA has insisted current arrangements are adequate but European negotiators have proposed a separate investment court. [In addition], a Europe-wide online petition against the TTIP, set up by the 'Self-organised European Citizens' Initiative Against TTIP and CETA' has raised more than 2.1 million signatures. It has claimed that TTIP and the CETA, which is a similar deal with Canada, are a 'threat to democracy, the environment, consumers and labour standards.'" http://www.dw.de/eu-parliament-postpones-ttip-trade-deal-vote/a-18506334