Letter on TTIP Regulatory Cooperation

12.05.2014: 178 NGOs from the EU and the US write to EU and US officials on the planned regulatory cooperation in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

In this letter to United States Trade Representative Executive Michael Froman and EU Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht, 178 NGOs from the EU and the US question the TTIP negotiations on regulatory cooperation.

The signatories are concerned that procedures on regulatory cooperation could easily facilitate a roll-back of protection provided by existing legislation, and that they would likely impede the development of new legislation and the implementation of what currently exists. Implementation is the key for legislation at any level of government, including the precautionary principle and other important public safeguards.

There are also concerns that TTIP will have a chilling effect on the development and implementation of laws to protect people and the environment. As the letter says: "We note your stated objective to protect the "right” to regulate and to preserve existing standards; however, the procedural recommendations advanced could undercut both of these stated objectives."