An interest group opposing the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) has formed in Switzerland. On Tuesday, the “Together against TTIP, TISA & Co.” alliance introduced itself in Bern. TTIP is a proposed trade agreement between the United States and the European Union, of which Switzerland is not a member. TISA (Trade in Services Agreement) is being negotiated between the US and 23 members of the World Trade Organisation, including the EU and Switzerland. More than a dozen organisations – including Switzerland’s Green Party and Social Democrats as well as the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions – have joined forces to challenge these agreements. The alliance says that the deals pose a threat to democracy, the environment, workers’ rights, data protection and public service. For example, it fears that efforts to harmonise international employment standards could cost jobs in a country like Switzerland, where the standards are high. Or the environment ...
