Washington, DC –(ENEWSPF)–February 20, 2014. Today, Representative Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) and Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member, Peter A. DeFazio (OR-04), along with 120 other members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to US Trade Representative Michael Froman, urging him to continue to push for a robust, fully enforceable environment chapter in theTrans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.
“TPP must include new and robust commitments for member countries to protect and conserve forests, oceans, and wildlife and obligate member countries to comply with both domestic environmental laws, not derogating from those laws, and meet their commitments under multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs),” the letter reads. “These commitments must be strong, binding and enforceable, and subject to the same dispute settlement procedures as the commercial chapters, including recourse to trade sanctions.”
Recently leaked documents, referenced by the New York Times, make it clear that the US is under great pressure from other countries to weaken strong environmental protections in the TPP. This letter urges the Ambassador not to allow reluctant partners or artificial timelines to steal away the historic opportunity he has led to secure environmental protections capable of generating benefits for decades to come.
“In a region with a weak history of protecting its rich natural resources from exploitation, the US has an opportunity to secure a robust, fully enforceable environment chapter in TPP,” said Blumenauer. “If done correctly, this will be about more than just conservation. It will enable the US to undercut the black market in illegally sourced plants and wildlife, while at the same time leveling the playing field for US companies consistently placed at a disadvantage because of poor or unevenly enforced environmental laws in other TPP countries.”
“I’m pleased over 120 of my colleagues joined Rep. Blumenauer and I in pushing the US to adopt strong, binding, enforceable environmental standards that will better address climate change, safeguard finite natural resources, and protect American businesses,” said DeFazio. “If TPP is really a ‘21st century trade agreement’ we must deal with global environmental problems such as illegal wildlife trafficking and poaching, illegal fishing, shark finning, and illegal logging. TPP should not reward trading partners that undermine our international environmental agreements and have weak environmental and labor standards.”
The full letter and list of signatories are attached and can be found linked here.
Source: blumenauer.house.gov
