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| Greenpeace Leaks U.S.-E.U. Trade Deal Documents | Greenpeace Leaks U.S.-E.U. Trade Deal Documents |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| LONDON — The Dutch chapter of the environmental activist group Greenpeace leaked on Monday what it called a trove of documents from the talks over a proposed trade deal between the European Union and the United States. | LONDON — The Dutch chapter of the environmental activist group Greenpeace leaked on Monday what it called a trove of documents from the talks over a proposed trade deal between the European Union and the United States. |
| The proposed deal, which President Obama would like to see finalized before he leaves office, has already received criticism on both sides of the Atlantic. | |
| According to Greenpeace, the documents indicate that American trade negotiators pressed their European counterparts to loosen important environmental, consumer protection and other provisions as part of the deal, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. | |
| The documents, which were released in Berlin at 11 a.m., consist of 248 pages, or about two-thirds of the latest negotiating text, which were said to have been prepared sometime between the latest round of talks, in New York last week. | The documents, which were released in Berlin at 11 a.m., consist of 248 pages, or about two-thirds of the latest negotiating text, which were said to have been prepared sometime between the latest round of talks, in New York last week. |
| The revelations — like the Panama Papers, which disclosed vast amounts of information about the offshore wealth held by global elites — could further complicate efforts to finalize the trade deal. | The revelations — like the Panama Papers, which disclosed vast amounts of information about the offshore wealth held by global elites — could further complicate efforts to finalize the trade deal. |
| Negotiations began in July 2013. The deal would cover a broad range of topics, including telecommunications, agricultural products, intellectual property and regulatory compatibility. | Negotiations began in July 2013. The deal would cover a broad range of topics, including telecommunications, agricultural products, intellectual property and regulatory compatibility. |
| Last month, Mr. Obama traveled to a manufacturing fair in Hanover, Germany, to join the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, to urge the acceleration of negotiations. | Last month, Mr. Obama traveled to a manufacturing fair in Hanover, Germany, to join the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, to urge the acceleration of negotiations. |
| While expressing confidence that the talks would wrap up this year, Mr. Obama, who will leave office on Jan. 20, acknowledged that “time is not on our side.” That was an implicit acknowledgment of the skepticism held by Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner in the race to succeed him, toward multilateral trade agreements. | While expressing confidence that the talks would wrap up this year, Mr. Obama, who will leave office on Jan. 20, acknowledged that “time is not on our side.” That was an implicit acknowledgment of the skepticism held by Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner in the race to succeed him, toward multilateral trade agreements. |
| Greenpeace said the leaked documents revealed four major concerns about the Americans’ negotiating positions: | Greenpeace said the leaked documents revealed four major concerns about the Americans’ negotiating positions: |
| ■ Efforts to weaken or loosen two longstanding clauses from global trade negotiations that are intended to protect “human, animal and plant life or health” and “the conservation of exhaustible natural resources”; | ■ Efforts to weaken or loosen two longstanding clauses from global trade negotiations that are intended to protect “human, animal and plant life or health” and “the conservation of exhaustible natural resources”; |
| ■ Inadequate protections for the climate; | ■ Inadequate protections for the climate; |
| ■ A new, more lax approach to product regulation than the “precautionary principles” used by the European Union, which generally takes a stringent approach to product regulation; | ■ A new, more lax approach to product regulation than the “precautionary principles” used by the European Union, which generally takes a stringent approach to product regulation; |
| ■ Provisions that would give corporate lobbyists greater influence in decision-making. | ■ Provisions that would give corporate lobbyists greater influence in decision-making. |
| “These leaked documents confirm what we have been saying for a long time: T.T.I.P. would put corporations at the center of policy making, to the detriment of environment and public health,” Jorgo Riss, director of Greenpeace E.U., said on Monday. “We have known that the E.U. position was bad, now we see the U.S. position is even worse. A compromise between the two would be unacceptable.” | “These leaked documents confirm what we have been saying for a long time: T.T.I.P. would put corporations at the center of policy making, to the detriment of environment and public health,” Jorgo Riss, director of Greenpeace E.U., said on Monday. “We have known that the E.U. position was bad, now we see the U.S. position is even worse. A compromise between the two would be unacceptable.” |
| Efforts to reach top American officials for comment on Monday — the United States trade representative Michael B. Froman, his chief of staff and his chief of public affairs — were not immediately successful. | Efforts to reach top American officials for comment on Monday — the United States trade representative Michael B. Froman, his chief of staff and his chief of public affairs — were not immediately successful. |
| Cecilia Malmstrom, who as the European commissioner for trade is leading the 28-nation bloc’s negotiations with the United States, wrote a blog post on Monday to correct what she called “misconceptions” in news coverage of the leaks, adding that “many of today’s alarmist headlines are a storm in a teacup.” | Cecilia Malmstrom, who as the European commissioner for trade is leading the 28-nation bloc’s negotiations with the United States, wrote a blog post on Monday to correct what she called “misconceptions” in news coverage of the leaks, adding that “many of today’s alarmist headlines are a storm in a teacup.” |
| Ms. Malmstrom said of the documents, “They reflect each side’s negotiating position, nothing else.” | |
| “It begs to be said, again and again,” she added. “No E.U. trade agreement will ever lower our level of protection of consumers, or food safety, or of the environment. Trade agreements will not change our laws on G.M.O.s, or how to produce safe beef, or how to protect the environment.” | “It begs to be said, again and again,” she added. “No E.U. trade agreement will ever lower our level of protection of consumers, or food safety, or of the environment. Trade agreements will not change our laws on G.M.O.s, or how to produce safe beef, or how to protect the environment.” |
| Ms. Malmstrom also noted that any final trade accord would require approval by the European Union’s member states and by the European Parliament before taking effect. | |
| Although the documents were not released until Monday, they were shared in advance with several European publications. | Although the documents were not released until Monday, they were shared in advance with several European publications. |
| In Germany, the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that the documents showed that the United States was threatening to prevent the easing of export controls on European cars in an attempt to compel Europe to buy more American agricultural products. | In Germany, the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that the documents showed that the United States was threatening to prevent the easing of export controls on European cars in an attempt to compel Europe to buy more American agricultural products. |
| The French newspaper Le Monde, which has also reviewed the documents, said there were no signs that European negotiators were ready to make concessions, and that the documents did not suggest that the Europeans desire or need the deal more than the Americans do. | The French newspaper Le Monde, which has also reviewed the documents, said there were no signs that European negotiators were ready to make concessions, and that the documents did not suggest that the Europeans desire or need the deal more than the Americans do. |
| According to The Guardian, which reported that it was provided the leaked documents by Greenpeace, the documents reveal “irreconcilable” differences in several areas: the use of animal testing for cosmetics; efforts by the Americans to give corporations like BASF, Nestlé and Coca-Cola more say in trade talks; and, potentially, an effort to expand the number of genetically modified foods that are sold in Europe. | According to The Guardian, which reported that it was provided the leaked documents by Greenpeace, the documents reveal “irreconcilable” differences in several areas: the use of animal testing for cosmetics; efforts by the Americans to give corporations like BASF, Nestlé and Coca-Cola more say in trade talks; and, potentially, an effort to expand the number of genetically modified foods that are sold in Europe. |
| In general, opposition to genetically modified organisms, or G.M.O.s, tends to be stronger in Europe than in the United States. | In general, opposition to genetically modified organisms, or G.M.O.s, tends to be stronger in Europe than in the United States. |