Greek Economy Minister Giorgos Stathakis called on Friday for the immediate start of substantive discussions with the United States on the greater protection of agricultural geographical indications as part of the ongoing discussions on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the US and the EU.
Stathakis made the statements on the sideline of the Foreign Affairs Council for Trade held in Brussels.
The minister also said there can be no real developments in the talks if the agreement doesn’t ensure in writing that the “high European standards, including the ones on consumer protection, food safety, health, environment, labor rights and the protection of personal data will remain unchanged and states will have the possibility to strengthen them with no hindrance and without being held accountable.”
Concerning the new proposal for the protection of investments, he said that the relevant provisions need to be specified and assessed for their impact on democratic decision-making process of individual member-states.
Stathakis also expressed the government’s objections on the ratification process of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada, reiterating its firm position that it is mixed competence agreement that should be ratified by national parliaments.
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