Leaked TTIP documents reveal ‘irreconcilable’ differences

Greenpeace to publish 248 pages of leaked negotiating texts.

U.S. negotiators on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership want to keep details of the talks secret and may be less interested in the deal than their EU counterparts, according to leaked documents to be released by Greenpeace Monday.

The NGO said in a press release it had obtained 248 pages of confidential TTIP negotiating texts, which it plans to publish at 11 a.m. According to French newspaper Le Monde, the texts are from March and reflect the state of negotiations shortly after the 12th round of talks in Brussels.

The Guardian, which has also seen the leak, reports the talks are floundering, with “irreconcilable” differences between the EU and U.S., particularly on animal testing of cosmetics, drug safety testing and on the environment.

Greenpeace claims the leaked texts make no reference to climate protection, which it says raises the question of whether a TTIP deal would be compatible with the goal of the Paris climate summit to keep global average temperature increases below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Le Monde says the texts make no reference to the so-called “precautionary principle,” which allows the certification of new products, particularly drugs in the EU, only if the producer can prove that they do no harm. European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström has previously stated the precautionary principle would not be abolished under TTIP.

Hans von der Burchard contributed to this report.