TTIP: Risks for environmental protection

flag of the European Union and flag of the USAClick to enlarge
Environmental standards might drop as a result of the planned TTIP free trade agreement.
Source: denisismagilov / Fotolia.com

The planned free trade agreement known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), if improperly designed, could result in a softening of EU environmental standards.

Lead and mercury, for example, are prohibited in electrical and electronic equipment in the EU, but some states in the USA still allow them. A new UBA position paper on TTIP nevertheless considers cooperation with the USA useful – for example to aim at cutting back on environmentally harmful subsidies.