MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Institute of Global Responsibility, the Civil Affairs Institute and Akcja Demokracja (Democracy Action) nongovernmental organizations submitted the signatures calling for the changes in the US-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) to the office of Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, Polskie Radio reported.
Both TTIP and CETA have sparked controversy and concern in the European Union due to the secrecy surrounding the negotiations and the power they could give to international corporations at the expense of small and medium-sized businesses.
While the advocates of the agreements claim they could be beneficial for economic growth of all the participants, the opponents believe they will make it harder for the European states to regulate markets and, in particular, undermine the European Union's right to label genetically modified food and support local agricultural producers.
At the moment, Brussels continues its discussions with Washington on the texts of the TTIP to regulate the issues the sides do not have full understanding of, in particular about agricultural production.
Meanwhile, the CETA talks are nearing completion, with the deal due to be signed in fall during the European visit of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
