TTIP: EU negotiators appear to break environmental pledge in leaked draft

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/23/ttip-eu-negotiators-appear-to-break-environmental-pledge-in-leaked-draft

As Miami talks wind up, environmental safeguards are ‘virtually non-existent’ in trade deal negotiating text for sustainable development, lawyers say

TTIP: EU negotiators appear to break environmental pledge in leaked draft
Arthur Neslen in Brussels
Friday 23 October 2015 12.16 EDT

The EU appears to have broken a promise to reinforce environmental protections in a leaked draft negotiating text submitted in the latest round of TTIP talks in Miami..

In January, the bloc promised to safeguard green laws, defend international standards and protect the EU’s right to set high levels of environmental protection, in a haggle with the US over terms for a free trade deal.

But a confidential text seen by the Guardian and filed in the sustainable development chapter of negotiations earlier this week contains only vaguely phrased and non-binding commitments to environmental safeguards.

No obligations to ratify international environmental conventions are proposed, and ways of enforcing goals on biodiversity, chemicals and the illegal wildlife trade are similarly absent.