The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Expert Contact: Bill Waren, (202) 222-0746wwaren@foe.org
Communications Contact: EA Dyson, (202) 222-0730, edyson@foe.org

WikiLeaks Exposes Environmental Threat of Trade in Services Agreement

WikiLeaks released today the secret text of the Annex on Environmental Services for the Trade in Services Agreement, which confirms that the global trade deal will stand in the way of new environmental and climate safeguards and begin a process of rolling back existing regulations. WikiLeaks also released an analysis prepared by Friends of the Earth, U.S. which unpacks the technical text of the TiSA deal, generally, and the Environmental Annex in particular.

WASHINGTON

WikiLeaks released today the secret text of the Annex on Environmental Services for the Trade in Services Agreement, which confirms that the global trade deal will stand in the way of new environmental and climate safeguards and begin a process of rolling back existing regulations. WikiLeaks also released an analysis prepared by Friends of the Earth, U.S. which unpacks the technical text of the TiSA deal, generally, and the Environmental Annex in particular.

Trade negotiators from the United States and 22 other World Trade Organization members, including the European Union, are seeking to "harmonize" environmental protections down to the lowest common denominator and to privatize environmental services provided by governments.

Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica had this statement:

"It is hypocritical for President Obama and other leaders of developed economies to meet in Paris to address climate change when their trade ministers are secretly crafting a Trade in Services Agreement which would undermine initiatives to cut carbon emissions. Regulations of emissions in the aviation and maritime sectors, in particular, are at risk. Big oil services companies, water services multinationals, tar sands pipeline companies, exporters of fossil fuels and other corporate polluters are beneficiaries of TiSA. President Obama and other heads of state are their willing handmaidens."

Read the leaked text of the TiSA Annex on Environmental Services here.

Read the Friends of the Earth analysis of TiSA text here.

Friends of the Earth fights for a more healthy and just world. Together we speak truth to power and expose those who endanger the health of people and the planet for corporate profit. We organize to build long-term political power and campaign to change the rules of our economic and political systems that create injustice and destroy nature.

(202) 783-7400