Today, officials from the European Union plan to sign off on a major trade and investment agreement with Japan, known colloquially as JEFTA. The deal, which is multiple years in the making, has drawn intense concern from environmental and labour campaigners due to its lack of provisions on whaling (amazingly still a problem in 2018), weak commitment to sustainable development, and inclusion of rules that could facilitate the privatisation of public services, including water, in Germany and other EU states. In addition, the deal refuses to recognise the precautionary principle and includes restrictions on the right of states to regulate multinational corporations. JEFTA, written behind closed doors by lobby shops, is only visible to campaigners because it was leaked to Greenpeace. Yet, bar a freak accident, it will be signed off tomorrow without a public referendum in any country. The agreement, like its sister deal CETA and the WTO, should be reminders of the dark ...