“T” for Toxic? Seven things everyone should know about the EU‐US trade negotiations (aka “TTIP” or “TAFTA”) and chemical regulation

This fact sheet by the Center for International Environmental Law argues that the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations between the US and EU threaten to undermine public health and environmental protections by harmonizing chemical regulations downward and restricting the regulatory authority of US states and the EU.

• TTIP is primarily a regulatory agreement aimed at minimizing differences across states, countries, and regions, which the author claims could lead to a "downward" harmonization of standards that are less protective of the environment and people, particularly regarding hazardous chemicals like PCBs, DDT, and CFCs.
• The agreement poses a risk to the regulatory authority of US states, as the European Commission is seeking common rules that could preempt states from enacting stronger public health or environmental measures or addressing specific chemicals of concern.
• TTIP may undermine the EU's chemical regime by slowing the implementation of existing legislation, which the US government and industry have characterized as a trade barrier due to its more protective nature.
• The agreement could hinder innovation and the shift to safer chemical alternatives through proposed secrecy rules that limit access to information about hazardous chemicals and by slowing the creation of hazardous chemical lists that drive businesses to find substitutes.
• TTIP could lead to an increase in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the US by requiring the automatic approval of liquid natural gas exports to the EU without review or conditions, while potentially allowing challenges to precautionary measures restricting fracking.
• The negotiations include NAFTA-like provisions for foreign investors, which could allow private industry attorneys in secretive arbitration panels to force the public to pay investors for lost profits resulting from US chemical laws.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). “T” for Toxic? Seven things everyone should know about the EU‐US trade negotiations (aka “TTIP” or “TAFTA”) and chemical regulation. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TTIP_FactSheet_US_Feb2014.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. “T” for Toxic? Seven things everyone should know about the EU‐US trade negotiations (aka “TTIP” or “TAFTA”) and chemical regulation. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TTIP_FactSheet_US_Feb2014.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=“T” for Toxic? Seven things everyone should know about the EU‐US trade negotiations (aka “TTIP” or “TAFTA”) and chemical regulation |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TTIP_FactSheet_US_Feb2014.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndtoxic, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{“T” for Toxic? Seven things everyone should know about the EU‐US trade negotiations (aka “TTIP” or “TAFTA”) and chemical regulation}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TTIP_FactSheet_US_Feb2014.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }