site.btaAnalysis of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Impact on Bulgaria Is Necessary - Environmentalists

Analysis of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Impact on Bulgaria Is Necessary - Environmentalists

Sofia, July 31 (BTA) - There is no analysis what impact the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will have on Bulgaria, Ivailo Popov of the For the Nature environmental association told a BTA-hosted news conference Friday. The news conference also featured other representatives of the Stop TTIP coalition.

According to Popov, no serious analysis has emerged in the two or so years of the negotiation process. The Council of Ministers and the relevant ministries should begin to analyse what will happen if the agreement is signed.

Aglika Kroushovenska of the Greens political party commented that future TTIP agreement between the United States and the European Union is being prepared with a lack of transparency and to date there is no accessible full text available for comments, only fragments.

Nevertheless, on the basis of what is known and statements made, the environmentalists warn of possible negative consequences, including corporate interests, GMO distribution, lowering of standards and requirements for the quality of foods, problems with competitiveness in agriculture and the market of agricultural products in Bulgaria.

In spite of the title, the agreement does not concern trade alone. It is comprehensive and concerns matters like standards, services, environment protection and even labour rights, Kroushovenska warned./LI/BR

/СН/