share  

Climate and energy

TTIP negotiators have listed the following EU rules as technical barriers” to trade: energy efficiency labels; fuel efficiency standards for cars; sustainable public procurement policies; regulation of unconventional fossil fuel extraction, including shale gas and tar sands; sustainability standards for bio-energy; and the banning of climate-damaging f-gases in appliances such as refrigerators and freezers.

TTIP is on hold at the moment, and its future is unclear. Its completion however would undermine efforts to strengthen Europe’s policies to combat climate change and boost renewables and energy efficiency. The agreement would also stimulate imports and exports of fossil fuels – like shale gas from fracking or oil from tar sands – while clean energy production for local communities and associations would be considered unfair competition and a barrier to trade.