What we will Force Fed with the CETA treaty



10 Nov 17 | | LEER ORIGINAL EN CASTELLANO AQUI by Esther Vivas – Scientific Council of ATTAC Spain

The news does not occupy big headlines, but its impact on our daily lives is important; it will end up deciding what we eat.

The controversial trade agreement between the European Union and Canada, better known by its acronym in English CETA, is already being applied provisionally throughout the continent.

Meat treated with hormones and growth promoters, food colors prohibited so far or transgenic apples and salmon are some of the controversial foods that it brings us.

The CETA came into force on September 21, although it has not yet been ratified by most of the member states. The Spanish Congress did at the end of June,

On October 27, CETA passed the last procedure: its ratification in the Spanish Senate. A new story that happened without pain or glory, since the same day the Senate gave green light to the application of Article 155.. Direct Rule over Catalonia.

But what is CETA? It is a free trade agreement with Canada that, like others that are being negotiated, such as the TTIP with the United States, seeks to subordinate the policy of the states to the interests of large companies, with the imposition of even international tribunals. arbitration that they can decide over the will of the parliaments. What is sold to us as an opportunity is actually pure business for the multinationals of the sector.

”EU-Canada CETA trade deal is a back door for US to sue EU states – even if TTIP fails to get through. All an American agriculture, energy, mining or drug giant would have to do to take full advantage of ISDS is use its existing subsidiary in Canada, or set one up, and sue European governments through CETA.. CETA includes the noxious ISDS clauses that allow Corporations to ignore national laws and get billions of dollars compensation if their products are restricted or potentially restricted for ANY REASON, including our health…”

And what will CETA bring to the field and to the table? Livestock of beef and pork and the milk sector will be the big losers. The arrival of such products from Canada is expected without paying any type of tariff. Appellations of origin will also be lost, since the CETA protects less than 15% of registered ones, according to the report.

The name Orange Valencia, for example, which already exists today, may continue to be used by Canadian companies regardless of where their oranges come from.

Standards inferior to Europeans

Our diet is another of the victims due to the reduction of food safety standards, since CETA seeks to match them with those of Canada, which are inferior to the European ones. Products that until now were banned in the EU, such as meat produced with hormones and growth promoters such as ractopamine, some transgenic foods or certain food colors, will be served on the plate.

In Canada, pigs and cattle can be medicated with ractopamine, a drug used as a food additive to achieve greater fattening of the animal and more economic benefit for the livestock industry. In the EU, its use and the importation of animals treated with it are prohibited, as in other 156 countries, considering that there are insufficient data to rule out risks to human health. However, in Canada, and also in the US, it is used.

Transgenic without labeling

The entry of new transgenic foods is another consequence. Although we already import some, mainly I think for the cattle, the CETA means the arrival of new ones.

In Canada genetically modified apples and salmon are produced, which could now land on the table. With the aggravating circumstance that, as consumers, we would not even know, because according to Canadian legislation, unlike European legislation, it is not mandatory to label them.

Spain is the only country in Europe which allows Monsanto’s Transgenic Maize crops with cancer causing Roundup, the Glysophate based herbicide



Food dyes banned in Europe but allowed by Canadian legislation, with CETA could be found in food. This is the fast green FCF or the citrus network n.2, according to a report by several European NGOs. In addition, Canada does not require to identify them as such on the label, and with the generic name “colors” is sufficient. Difficult, then, to know what we eat.

From the state campaign No to TTIP, CETA and TiSA, which amounts to more than 350 social, union and political associations, we have been denouncing these consequences for years. It’s about time we heard from you. … Esther Vivas SIGN HERE



Lo que nos tragaremos con el CETA

…….LEER ORIGINAL EN CASTELLANO AQUI