Slovak Food Chamber criticizes TTIP agreement

Slovakia should halt negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the EU and the USA, stated the Slovak Food Chamber. TTIP is aimed at eliminating barriers to free trade and the free movement of goods and services, but the Chamber is worried that it will lead to the EU market being flooded with genetically modified organisms. It also supports its stance by pointing out the resistance to the deal from the public, governments and parliaments in both Austria and France. "The US keeps adopting decisions that haven't convinced us of its determination to change its domestic rules in order to sign TTIP," emphasized the chamber. Contrary to this, Ivan Štefanec, Member of European Parliament for the Christian Democratic Movement, believes that the Slovak Government should support continuing the debate regarding the agreement at the informal meeting of 27 EU Prime Ministers in Bratislava on September 16. "In order to keep and increase its competitiveness, the European Economy has to search for strategic partners," explained Štefanec.