Press Release No. 32/2014 Relaunch of CETA and TTIP: IG Metall and the Academy of Arts Call for “Fair Trade” Instead of ...

Berlin – In the current debate over free trade agreements, IG Metall and the Academy of Arts have called for fair trade in a joint statement. “This requires a political framework that sets binding social, environmental, and cultural standards,” states the declaration by IG Metall and the Academy of Arts, which was presented on Friday in Berlin. The negotiations on the free trade agreements between the EU and the U.S. and Canada—TTIP and CETA—have sparked a wave of outrage and resistance.

From the perspective of IG Metall and the Academy of Arts, the current negotiations on the free trade agreements—especially the planned investment protection clauses favoring large corporations—constitute an attack on democracy, the rule of law, and the European cultural model. “Neither the current understanding of culture and public support for cultural diversity, nor the models of co-determination, collective bargaining autonomy, and social and environmental protection may be called into question or jeopardized,” the paper states.

Out of concern for the pillars underpinning these achievements, the joint initiative between the Academy of Arts and IG Metall was launched. “In the face of aggressive neoliberalism, as embodied in TTIP and CETA, an institution of democratic culture and an organization of solidarity-based labor are virtually natural allies. With this declaration, we want to express our natural partnership against a misguided societal course,” said Detlef Wetzel, First Chairman of IG Metall. The IG Metall chairman emphasized that the planned investment protection (“investor-state dispute settlement”) has drawn particular criticism, as it would result in a special jurisdiction exercised by private arbitration tribunals in favor of corporations.

“Culture and creativity are the cornerstones of the European economy. They are protected both by the German Basic Law and by the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity. We will not accept that international agreements such as CETA and TTIP, which are intended to promote the economy and trade, put culture and creativity in Europe at risk. We demand that the authority to shape the development of culture and audiovisual services—in their current and future forms—remain fully within the sovereignty of the states, and we therefore reject TTIP as it currently stands,” said Klaus Staeck, President of the Academy of Arts.

The statement continues: “The lack of transparency in the negotiation strategies of both sides has sparked deep mistrust within society. We consider the government’s inadequate information policy and its negligent handling of the justified widespread criticism from society to be no longer acceptable. Political decision-makers have a democratic obligation to society. This applies also—and in particular—to Chancellor Angela Merkel. So far, she has offered only general statements, but has not engaged with the numerous critics. We call on the Chancellor to take a clear stance on the future course of the negotiations on behalf of the federal government. The confusion being sown among civil society must come to an end.”