Will New US-EU "Trade" Negotiations Be Abused to Break Down Consumer Protection Standards on Both Sides of the Atlantic?

The Trans-Atlantic Consumer Dialogue ("TACD") a coalition of consumer organizations in both Europe and North America, has fired a shot across the bow of both the Obama Administration and the leadership of the EU, warning that "improving trade" through the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership ("TTIP") should not be a smokescreen for watering down important consumer protections on both sides of the Atlantic to meet the least common denominator in each country.  A copy of the TACD letter is here.