DANGEROUS LIAISONS: THE NEW TRADE TRIO

This report by Friends of the Earth International analyzes the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). It argues that these 'new generation' agreements are part of a global strategy led by the US and EU to bypass the World Trade Organization (WTO), prioritize corporate interests over democratic decision-making, and dismantle social and environmental regulations.

• The TTIP, TPP, and TiSA collectively function as a corporate blueprint for the global economy, aiming to open export markets for transnational companies while locking in rules that privatize public services and dismantle social and environmental regulations.
• These 'new generation' agreements are designed as 'invitation only' spaces, allowing the US and EU to sidestep objections from other WTO members and counteract the growing economic influence of China and the BRICS countries.
• The agreements seek to shift decision-making power from governments to corporations through deregulation and 'necessity tests,' where governments must prove that planned standards are necessary to trade departments.
• TTIP and TPP include Investor-State arbitration mechanisms (such as the Investment Court System in TTIP) that allow corporations to sue governments in private tribunals if new laws or policy changes affect their profits.
• The agreements threaten food safety and agriculture by increasing the burden of scientific evidence required for food safety standards, potentially making it easier for agribusiness to challenge bans on GMOs.
• TiSA specifically targets the liberalisation of services and could undermine climate efforts through 'technological neutrality,' which limits the ability of governments to prioritize renewable energy over fossil fuels.
• The agreements restrict public procurement, making it difficult for governments to use 'buy local' provisions or prioritize social and environmental indicators when awarding contracts.

APA

Hall, R., Cossar, S., Cingotti, N., Villarreal, A., Flues, F., Warren, W., & Sangaralingam, M. (n.d.). DANGEROUS LIAISONS: THE NEW TRADE TRIO. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/foe-trade-bookletWEB.pdf

Chicago

Hall, Ronnie, Sam Cossar, Natacha Cingotti, Alberto Villarreal, Fabian Flues, William Warren, and Mageswari Sangaralingam. DANGEROUS LIAISONS: THE NEW TRADE TRIO. Friends of the Earth International, n.d. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/foe-trade-bookletWEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hall |first1=Ronnie |last2=Cossar |first2=Sam |last3=Cingotti |first3=Natacha |last4=Villarreal |first4=Alberto |last5=Flues |first5=Fabian |last6=Warren |first6=William |last7=Sangaralingam |first7=Mageswari |title=DANGEROUS LIAISONS: THE NEW TRADE TRIO |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/foe-trade-bookletWEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hallnddangerous, author = {Hall, Ronnie and Cossar, Sam and Cingotti, Natacha and Villarreal, Alberto and Flues, Fabian and Warren, William and Sangaralingam, Mageswari}, title = {{DANGEROUS LIAISONS: THE NEW TRADE TRIO}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/foe-trade-bookletWEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }