Michael Briguglio calls for national debate on TTIP

Maltese political parties, NGOs and local councils must start discussing the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIO) between the EU and the USA, sociologist and Zminijietna activist Michael Briguglio said.

According to a recent Eurobarometer survey, 75% of the Maltese population are ‘in favour of a free trade and investment agreement between the EU and the USA’, a higher percentage than any other EU member state except for Lithuania (79%) and Romania (also 75%). On the other hand, only 39% of Germans and Austrians said that they are in favour of such an agreement.

“I am not surprised by these results,” Briguglio admitted. “Maltese political parties and civil society organisations aren’t even discussing the TTIP, unlike what is going on in other European countries, where large NGOs such as Friends of the Earth have criticised the secrecy of the proposed agreement. The European Green Party has also spoken out against the TTIP process, while the EU’s Committee of Regions has expressed concerns that it could negatively impact local councils.”

Briguglio also pointed out that the Eurobarometer’s TTIP-related question was a stand-alone one.

“I am in favour of free trade and investment between the EU and the United States,” he said. “What concerns me is the lack of transparency and consultation behind the deal.

Europe has stronger social and environmental standards than the USA has. For example, workers’ rights, trade union rights and food labelling laws are stronger in Europe. Education and health aren’t commercialised in Europe, whereas the United States doesn’t even have a public health system. Europe’s achievements in the social, health and environmental sectors shouldn’t be sacrificed in the name of commercialisation.”

The Front against TTIP (Malta) was set up last summer by Zminijietna- Voice of the Left, the Anti-Poverty Alliance, Moviment Graffiti, Association of Federative Socialists, and GWU Youth.