Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant told the European Parliament in Strasbourg that it is much more likely that the greatest beneficiaires of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) to be negotiated between the European Union and the United States will be the largest multinationals on both sides of the Atlantic. Dr. Sant said he voted in favour of the TTIP resolution on the understanding that care will be taken to ensure that the outcome of negotiations will not serve to further increase the economic divergence that is happening between different regions of the European Union and the eurozone. If TTIP serves to further erode the competitive position of small and medium enterprises in different parts of the Union, such divergence could grow. Claims have been made in favour of TTIP that it would promote greater trading opportunities for small and medium enterprises. Such arguments are however backed by flimsy evidence, Dr. Sant said.
Dr. Sant said it is therefore equally important that European negotiators ensure that private investors are not enabled under TTIP to access arbitration and legal decision that circumvent national and European legal jurisdictions, while having the power to reverse or compensate for national policy decisions taken by governments in the national interest. ‘My vote in favour is also conditioned by a belief that this point too is firmly covered in the terms that will continue to be set for the TTIP negotiating mandate.’ Said Dr. Sant.
Maltese Version – ‘IL-KUMPANIJI MULTINAZZJONALI FUQ IŻ-ŻEWĠ NAĦAT TAL-ATLANTIKU L-AKTAR LI SE JIBBENEFIKAW MIT-TTIP’
Il-Kap tad-delegazzjoni Laburista Maltija fil-Parlament Ewropew qal li x’aktarx l-aktar li se jgawdu mill-ftehim ta’ Kummerċ bejn l-Unjoni Ewropea u l-Istati Uniti se jkunu l-kumpaniji multinazzjonali l-kbar fuq iż-żewġ naħat tal-Atlantiku. Dr Alfred Sant qal dan waqt riżoluzzjoni fil-Parlament Ewropew fi Strasburgu dwar id-diskussjonijiet li għaddejjin bejn l-UE u l-Istati Uniti dwar it -Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Dr. Sant qal li vvota favur din ir-riżoluzzjoni fuq il-fehma li se jittieħdu l-miżuri li jiżguraw li dan il-ftehim ma jkomplix iżid id-diverġenzi ekonomiċi li diġa’ jeżistu bejn reġuni differenti fi ħdan l-UE u ż-żona ewro. Dr. Sant qal li jekk il-ftehim ta’ kummerċ bejn l-Istati Uniti u l-UE se jnaqqar il-kompetittivita’ tal-intrapriżi żgħar u medji ewropej, id-diverġenzi ekonomiċi li diġa’ jeżistu se jkomplu jikbru. ‘Stqarrijiet favur dan il-ftehim ta’ kummurċ jgħidu li l-ftehim se jwassal għal aktar opportunitajiet ta’ kummerċ għall-intrapriżi żgħar u medji. Dawn l-argumenti ma tantx huma bbażati fuq evidenza soda,’ innota Dr Sant.
Dr Sant saħaq dwar l-importanza li n-negozjaturi Ewropej jiżguraw li taħt ir-regoli tal-ftehim ta’ kummerċ, l-investituri privati ma jkollhomx aċċess għall-arbitraġġ u deċiżjonijiet legali li jevitaw il-ġurriżdizzjonijiet legali ewropej. Huwa qal li jrid ikun żgurat li r-regoli ma jkollhomx il-poter li jagħmlu l-oppost ta’ dak li jkunu ddeċidew il-gvernijiet, skont il-politika nazzjonali tagħhom u fl-interess nazzjonali ta’ pajjiżhom. ‘Il-vot tiegħi favur huwa kkundizzjonat ukoll mit-twemmin li dan il-punt qiegħed fil-mandat ta’ dak li qed ikun negozjat fil-ftehim ta’ kummerċ bejn l-UE u l-Istati Uniti.’ Qal Dr Sant.
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