Big Issues for Consumers Unaddressed

TTIP
TTIP is a trading agreement which comes with interesting add-ons such as the right of companies to sue Governments. And the trade treaty also includes harmonisation of regulation which when you compare the EU to the US seems to be a very problematic area. As in all things with these treaties the World Trade Organisation will provide a three man "court" to resolve the problem.

So what have Which? said about it's support:

''Which? campaigns and policy positions are determined by a number of different factors. We hear directly from our members and supporters about the issues that concern them. And, as a registered charity with a mission for all consumers, we also undertake market research and analysis to understand the challenges that all consumers face. We also have a team of policy experts who research each issue to determine our position. As such, we don’t test all our policy issues directly with our members through the magazine or Which? Connect, but any views we do get, such as right here on this Convo, help us shape them. Thanks to you and others for letting us know how you feel about this issue – we’re taking it all on board.''

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Plan is perhaps the largest event that will affect all consumers in the UK and In the EU - and it is irreversible. It is also being negotiated behind closed doors, closed even to MEP's.

There is the pan-European consumer body, BEUC,  and it is very much more robust in saying that it does not think it is a necessarily a good deal for consumers but with everything being hidden, bar a few leaks, it would be very hard to be positive on the outcome. http://www.beuc.eu/blog/

I was much struck that on the "Today" programme on Saturday 27th September Ben Wallace MP quoted Which? as being in favour and is the largest consumer organisation in Europe. From the Which? reputational perspective with a Board, and Council with many co-opted people who have worked for multi-nationals like Diageo, Goldman Sachs, Unilever and Proctor and Gamble it was probably not a wise choice to support TTIP given it is generally assumed these treaties benefit multi-nationals.

I have asked for a copy of the policy document which has lead to Which? becoming a quotable source. I have not received a copy.. This seems faintly unfair given I am paying around £150 a year that something so important is reserved to a few. The thread is in Conversations here:

http://conversation.which.co.uk/technology/uk-vs-us-prices-british-rip-off-technology-apple-laptops/

''"When I wake up at night and think about arbitration, it never ceases to amaze me that sovereign states have agreed to investment arbitration at all ... Three private individuals are entrusted with the power to review, without any restriction or appeal procedure, all actions of the government, all decisions of the courts, and all laws and regulations emanating from parliament." -Juan Fernández-Armesto, arbitrator from Spain "Arbitrator and counsel: the double-hat syndrome", Global Arbitration Review, Vol. 7 - Issue 2, 3/15/12.''

ALL TRIALS
All Trials is a movement to make sure that trials are not cherry-picked by the phamaceutical companies to obtain patents and sales. AllTrials is fascinatingly relevant here in respect of these trade treaties..

Canada is being sued for $0.5billion by Eli Lilly a phamaceutical maker under another trade treaty overseen by the World Trade Organisation. The Canadian courts did so after determining that Eli Lilly had presented insufficient evidence (a single study involving 22 patients) when filing for the patent to show that Strattera would deliver the long-term benefits promised by the company.3

There are arounf 500 cases dragging on through supra-national "courts" which over-ride national governmants and Courts. Australia is being sued by a Hong Kong subsiduary company of Phillip Morris the tobacco conglomerate for its decision to make cigarette packets unattractive.

AllTrials is actually about the deliberate use of any favourable studies for getting drugs passed for sale. A very worthy cause but as of September 2014 only 80,000 of us had signed in support. Given its incredibly wide appeal it seems a great shame that Which? has not made use of its 620,000 subscribers more effectively.

INFO ON ALL TRIALS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AllTrials

http://www.alltrials.net/

WTO and Trade Treaties

http://www.citizen.org/eli-lilly-investor-state-factsheet