PLANET IN PERIL

The Globe and Mail Let’s be clear about the just-released, negotiated-in-secret Trans-Pacific Partnership deal. Despite how it’s being referred to, it is definitely not a “free-trade” agreement. It’s much more than that. Story here.

bilateral.org PinP  photo During the secret negotiations of the free trade agreement between the European Union and Canada known as CETA, the European Commission always maintained that water would be excluded from the treaty, and that the choice on how to manage services related to the production and distribution of drinking water by the public authorities would not be questioned. But a careful reading of the consolidated text of CETA shows that the reality is different. Details here.

Chris Hedges If there is no sustained uprising to prevent the passage of the TPP in Congress this spring we will be shackled by corporate power. Wages will decline. Working conditions will deteriorate. Unemployment will rise. Our few remaining rights will be revoked. The assault on the ecosystem will be accelerated. Banks and global speculation will be beyond oversight or control. Food safety standards and regulations will be jettisoned. Story here.

CommonDreams 'President Obama has sold the American people a false bill of goods,' says Friends of the Earth. Story here.

Manitoba Co-Operator Milk protein isolates will enter tariff free, making it even more difficult for Canada to dispose of surplus skim milk. Story here.

bilaterals.org Public services in the European Union (EU) are under threat from international trade negotiations that endanger governments’ ability to regulate and citizens’ rights to access basic services like water, health, and energy, for the sake of corporate profits. Story here. 

The Nation The signatories of the Trans-Pacific Partnership just announced that they have inked the final agreement, ending years of secret negotiations and back-room corporate deal-making. And still, the full text, which will set trade rules for roughly 40 percent of global commerce in a dozen Pacific Rim countries, remains a secret, even as the accord hurtles toward Congress for an accelerated vote.   Story here. RELATED:   " Free Trade: Path to Prosperity - or Back Road to Corporatism?"

Gus Van Harten - bilaterals.org With its focus on the economy, the recent election debate pointed to the Harper government’s big – and thus far spectacularly bad – bet on China. Story here. Related: Free Trade: Path to Prosperity - or Back Road to Corporatism?

Common Dreams Forced by freedom of information request, officials release documents scrubbed of all content and names. Story here. RELATED: "Free Trade: Path to Prosperity - or Back Road to Corporatism?"

bilaterals.org Since winning a majority in 2011, perhaps the most significant and irreversible decision by the Harper government was its lopsided investment deal with China. Story here. RELATED: " Free Trade: Path to Prosperity - or Back Road to Corporatism?"

bilaterals.org Canadian investors have exploited a controversial mechanism in international investment treaties to challenge public interest regulations in 24 different countries, according to a  study released today  by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).  Story here. RELATED: "Free Trade: Path to Prosperity or Back Road to Corporatism?"

Common Dreams A Canadian corporation is seeking damages after being blocked from creating an open-pit mine over environmental concerns. Story here. Related: " Free Trade: Path to Prosperity - or Back Road to Corporatism?"

By Yves Engler -   bilaterals.org Sometimes what is good for business can be bad for people. Most Canadians understand this and cherish their right to protest "bad deals" and to elect new governments willing to reverse so-called "business-friendly" policies. This is called democracy. Story here.

Common Dreams 'All draft treaty texts should be published so that Parliamentarians and civil society have sufficient time to review them and to weigh the pros and cons in a democratic manner,' say officials. Story here. Related:   Free Trade: Pathway to Prosperity - or Back Road to Corporatism?

Bilaterals.org In Sold Down the Yangtze , investment treaty expert Gus Van Harten offers a searing critique of Canada’s 31-year investment deal with China, which could end up costing taxpayers billions of dollars. Story here. Related: Free Trade: Pathway to Prosperity - or Back Road to Corporatism?

Manitoba Co-Operator Some groups want a trade deal even if it means sacrificing supply management. Story here.

the guardian US trade officials pushed EU to shelve action on endocrine-disrupting chemicals linked to cancer and male infertility to facilitate TTIP free trade deal Story here. Related: "Free Trade. Pathway to Prosperity or Back Road to Corporatism?"

Macleans Mission accomplished? Not quite. American negotiations with Europe may trigger more changes to CETA. Story here. Related: Free Trade. Pathway to Prosperity or Back Road to Corporatism?

AVAAZ The tobacco giant Philip Morris is suing Uruguay for having some of the best anti-smoking laws in the world, and there’s a good chance it could win, unless we step in. Sign here.

by Larry Powell Will it be even harder for us to protect our own environment now? It all began about a decade ago when “Bilcon Inc.,” a US company controlled by the Clayton family of Delaware, applied to expand a basalt mine and marine port in Digby County, Nova Scotia. (Basalt is a common rock used in road construction, concrete and other products.) But the site, which would cover over 150 hectares , happened to be in a key breeding area for vulnerable marine animals, including an endangered whale species. After the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans expressed concern that the rock-blasting associated with the operation might adversely affect the environment, a Joint Review Panel (JRP) was appointed to look into it. The company labelled this development as "rare, costly and time-consuming," but it went ahead anyway. The Panel conducted lengthy public hearings, calling a host of witnesses. Many expressed concern for tourism, air and water quality, t