Press Release: EU Free Trade deal that could stop city banning fracking

1395488660162Frack Free Greater Manchester is to call on the regions new Members of the European Parliament to oppose a free trade deal that could see the city sued if it bans fracking.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment partnership (TTIP) is a proposed free trade agreement between the European Union and the USA. The draft includes a investor-state dispute settlement’ mechanism (ISDS), which could give special rights to companies to claim damages in private investor friendly arbitrators if they deem their investments (including future profits) are adversely affected by changes in regulation or policy.

In September 2013 Lone Pine Resources Inc used a similar agreement to sue the Canadian state of Quebec for $250 million after it placed a moratorium on fracking. (1)

Last week the Huffington Post obtained a secret trade memo from the negotiating team which the appeared to show the EU pressing the USA to expand fracking. (2)

Martin Porter of Frack Free Greater Manchester said “Whichever side of the debate you are on, you surely have to agree that the city councils that it is the elected representatives of the councils that make up greater Manchester that should have the final say on whether or not it happens here.

ENDS

1. Friends of the Earth No Fracking Way: how the US-EU trade agreement risks expanding fracking

2. Huffington Post Read The Secret Trade Memo Calling For More Fracking and Offshore Drilling

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  1. 1) Your activity with TTIP is great and good.
    2) We are pleased, that you work for ban frack in Manchester.
    BUT: It is essential to not only grow and spread movement from below, but also to unite the antifrack world movement. We have a vision to unify all under one flag: Frack Free World. We have already established web. We are looking for editors of individual states. Should there be a national coalition against them frakování and continental coalition. Do FFW they should enter these, but i feel different groups. FFW should have leadership that drove the global fight global scientific advice and budget to help poor countries build the resistance!
    Join us, please, here 🙂 http://frackfreeworld.org/about-us/join-us
    Good luck
    about Frack Free World ideas and structure here: http://frackfreeworld.org/about-us/statements

    Jiri Malik, National Antifracking Coalition Czech Republic, member of Frack Free World. From UK entered Knitting Nanas Balcombe 🙂 and next prepare 🙂

  1. […] Frack Free Greater Manchester calls on new MEPs to oppose a free trade deal, which the organisation says could see the city sued if it banned fracking. The group says the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) could give special rights to companies to claim damages if they deem their investments are adversely affected by changes in regulation and policy. […]

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