He highlighted the absurdity of the current secrecy arrangements, which include limited documents being available to MEPs who enter a Classified Information Unit where some TTIP documents are kept under lock and key.

Carthy this week entered this ‘‘secret reading room’’ to read the draft TTIP chapter on agriculture.

“I have been raising awareness about the negative impact TTIP would have for democratic institutions, environmental standards, workers’ rights and the future of the agriculture sector for some time,” said Carthy. “TTIP is currently being negotiated behind closed doors by unelected European officials, and almost all of the documents and details of the negotiations are kept secret.”

Carthy added that one of the outworkings of the secretive nature of the negotiations is that a small, limited amount of documentation is available to be viewed by MEPs.

“In order to access these documents, MEPs must register and attend the secret reading room,” he said. “This week, I took the opportunity to do so. I had to sign a confidentiality agreement swearing never to divulge the information. My phone was taken from me and I was accompanied into the room by an official, who remained in the reading room for the duration.”

He focused on the draft chapter on agriculture. “While there were worrying elements within it, there was nothing that could be argued as being so sensitive that it should be hidden from the media and citizens, accessible only to some MEPs,” he said.

“The documents that I saw this week and the documents that have remained under lock and key by the Commission must be released so that people can make informed judgements,” said Carthy. “The potentials of TTIP are too important and too dangerous for details to be kept from European citizens.”