Under the direction of Chairman Berndt Lange, the European Parliament’s trade committee this week paved the way for an upcoming plenary vote on TTIP draft recommendations.

Now that President Obama has signed Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) into law, attention has turned toward the next round of TTIP negotiations, scheduled to take place from July 13-17 in Brussels. The US Trade Representative (USTR) is also expected to wrap up negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) by the end of the summer.

 

After retabling the plenary amendments from June, the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee (INTA) is ready to present its draft recommendations on TTIP at the upcoming plenary session of Parliament.

“Today’s vote was a necessary step we had to take in committee to prepare the TTIP-resolution to be put forward to vote in a future plenary session” – INTA Chair Berndt Lange

The European Parliament’s International Trade Committee (INTA) has re-tabled the June plenary amendments, setting the stage for a plenary vote on the Committee’s draft recommendations to TTIP negotiators. One issue of particular interest to MEPs expected to feature heavily in the plenary debate will be the use of private arbitration mechanisms for investor-state disputes, also known as ISDS. (European Parliament)

The European Commission announced last week that the next round of TTIP negotiations will take place on July 13-17 in Brussels. According to EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, the negotiations will likely not be completed in 2015, but the US and the EU may be able to finalize an outline of the overall agreement by the end of the year. On July 15, the Commission will hear presentations from interest groups on a range of stakeholder issues such as regulatory coherence, geographical indications, and public procurement. (PoliticoEU)

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According to the German Marshall Fund’s Joshua Walker, Trade Promotion Authority was a must-pass for both domestic and international reasons. At home, TPA will help ensure that exports remain a key base of growth for the US economy and that Congress maintains a bipartisan pro-trade majority in the years to come. On the international front, he argues that TPA will open up new markets in the Asia-Pacific and help offset the increasing gravitational pull of the Chinese economy. (Huffington Post)

Jessica Lemos and Kara Sutton of the Association of Women in International Trade provide a concise summary of the legislative hurdles that TPA had to overcome in order to reach President Obama’s desk. At a crucial moment, Senate Democrats and Republicans were able to bridge a trust gap and pass a standalone TPA bill by a vote of 60-38, on the assurance that Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) would be taken up shortly thereafter. (Association of Women in International Trade)

Following the passage of Trade Promotion Authority, US Trade Representative Michael Froman has vowed to complete both the TPP and TTIP by the end of President Obama’s term in office. Now that TPP negotiations are nearing completion, Froman is ready to begin lobbying members of Congress on the transatlantic agreement. If his experience with the pacific trade deal is any indication, Froman is in for another congressional blitz. In the past two years alone, the USTR has held more than 350 briefings with lawmakers on the TPP, with more likely to come over the summer. (Politico)

According to David Petraeus and Paras Bhayani, the United States, Canada, and Mexico are positioned to be the global economic drivers of the 21st century, and the passage of TPA is an important step in that direction. Prospective trade agreements like the TPP will ensure even deeper market integration between the three countries as well as stimulate growth in four key sectors: energy, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and information technology. (Foreign Policy)

Meeting of the TTIP Partnership Advisory Group – June 30 in Brussels, hosted by the European Commission- Find the meeting agenda here

UK National Road Shows – June to December in the United Kingdom, hosted by the British American Business – More Information

EU Digital Single Market Conference – July 16 in Washington, hosted by the Trans-Atlantic Business Council – More Information