– We wish all of you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving! Please note that due to the holidays, there will be no TTIP Action on Thursday, November 27-
Statement by Ambassador Michael Froman Following Meeting with European Union Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström
“We have an opportunity to work together for a fresh start to the negotiations and we are off to a good beginning. The United States is committed to moving forward with T-TIP as soon as we can and as fast as we’re able. T-TIP can make a major contribution towards underscoring that the transatlantic relationship is second to none at a time of geopolitical uncertainty around the world. We very much look forward to working with Commissioner Malmström and her colleagues toward that objective.”
At the closing of last week, US Trade Representative Michael Froman met with European Union Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström in Brussels, Belgium to discuss their future cooperation on TTIP. It was their first face-to-face meeting since the new Commission took office in early November. In response to their meeting, Commissioner Malmström tweeted “Convinced we can achieve a good agreement on TTIP, beneficial to our economies and citizens in EU and US.” Their meeting was preceded by a discussion between Commission President Juncker and President Obama in the framework of the G20 in Australia earlier this month. A follow up of this meeting is set for the second week of December when Commissioner Malmström will visit Washington DC to continue her talks with Ambassador Froman. (United States Trade Representative)
Make sure you follow both US Trade Representative Michael Froman @MikeFroman and Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström @MalmstromEU on Twitter to stay tuned about their cooperation on TTIP!
Speeches and Official Announcements
Transparency Boost Malmstrom College Agenda
“We want to consult even more extensively on TTIP,” said Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, “and be even more transparent, so we can show clearly what the negotiations are about and de-mystify them. We’ll use this as a basis to engage further with stakeholders and the public.” (Cecilia Malmström)
“I have transparency in my DNA, and I hope I can inject it also in TTIP negotiations.” (Cecilia Malmström)
At today’s College of the Commission meeting in Strasbourg, President Juncker and the Commissioners discussed an initiative to reinforce transparency in the European Commission and in TTIP negotiations with the United States. This follows last week’s Commission debate on transparency which focused on on the implementation of more transparency when it comes to contacts between Commissioners on the one hand and stakeholders and lobbyists on the other hand. Actions to make TTIP negotiations more transparent include increasing the number of negotiating texts available to the public, providing access to TTIP texts to all MEPs, classifying less TTIP negotiating documents as “EU restricted,” and regularly publishing and updating a public list of TTIP documents shared with the European Parliament and the Council. (European Commission)
Read more about Trade Commissioner Malmström’s call for more transparency in the International Business Times.
The release of the Commission’s action plan on transparency resonated very positively in the European Parliamentary group, read their reactions here.
Council Conclusions on TTIP
“The Council underlines the importance to better communicate the scope and the benefits of the agreement and to enhance transparency and dialogue with civil society in order to highlight the benefits for European citizens and the opportunities it would create for EU companies, in particular small and medium sized businesses.”
In the Foreign Affair’s Council meeting on trade on November 21, the Council reaffirmed its commitment to concluding an ambitious and balanced TTIP as soon as feasible and stressed the importance of TTIP for enhancing sustainable growth and jobs in the European Union. The Council emphasized that “to achieve this aim, it is essential to have clear and strong political support for the negotiations by both parties which will boost TTIP talks and facilitate the conclusion of the agreement according to a positive timeline.” (European Council)
Watch Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström’s opening remarks at the press conference of the Foreign Affairs Council here.
Commission on TTIP: Questions and Answers
How are negotiators being held accountable? Who is going to benefit from TTIP? How will it change my life? Will the TTIP automatically trump EU laws?
In the framework of the Commission’s ambitions to make TTIP negotiations more transparent and comprehensive to the public, it recently updated its questions and answers catalogue on TTIP. The catalogue tackles the most frequent questions asked by the public and serves as a concise overview of what TTIP is – and what it is not. (European Commission)
News
Europe-United States Trade Talks Delay Upsets Italy
Carlo Calenda, Italy’s vice minister for economic development, is worried about the slow progress of TTIP negotiations. Following UK Prime Minister Cameron’s lead, Calenda is concerned that if not concluded in 2015, TTIP negotiations could be prolonged unnecessarily until well into 2017 by US presidential elections in 2016. US Trade Representative Mike Froman and his new EU counterpart, Cecilia Malmström have met this week to give new impetus to TTIP negotiations. (Financial Times)
Ambitious United States Trade Deal Needed, European Union Says
During a meeting of leaders from the world’s largest economies last weekend, trade ministers form the EU member states expressed their continued commitment to the conclusion of an ambitious and comprehensive TTIP. A group of ministers implicitly demanded the inclusion of ISDS in TTIP. Overall, they emphasized the need “to better communicate the scope and the benefits of the agreement and to enhance transparency and dialogue with civil society.” (European Voice)
Cameron To Nail ‘Myths’ About TTIP Leading To NHS Privatization
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has expressed his commitment to busting the myths currently putting a shadow on TTIP debates in the United Kingdom. He called on supporters of TTIP to be more engaged in countering false allegations of TTIP opponents who claim that it presents a threat to public services and consumer protection in Europe by opening markets up to US firms. (Huffington Post)
Latvia’s Priorities for the EU Council Presidency
At a meeting in Brussels last week, Latvian Ambassador to the European Union Ilze Juhansone announced the main priorities for Latvia’s upcoming six months Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers. Aiming towards a competitive, digital, and engaged Europe, the it will focus on the fostering of investments and economic reforms, the revision of the Europe 2020 strategy, the creation of a digital single market, the engagement with strategic partners (including TTIP), the Union’s neighborhood policy, enlargement negotiations, migration, as well as the future of the EU security and defense policy. (The Baltic Course)
Recent Analysis
Brussels Briefing on Trade: All You Need to know for November 24 – December 8
In this latest Brussels Briefing on Trade, Trade Editor of EU Trade Insights Lénaïc Vaudin d’Imécourt provides an overview of the European Union’s most pressing trade issues, including the Commission’s TTIP transparency initiative on November 25, the WTO’s special General Council meeting on November 26 in Geneva, the 9th round of the Trade in Services Agreement negotiations on December 1 in Geneva, the 8th round of the EU-Japan trade talks on December 8 in Tokio, and the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee meeting on December 3 in Brussels. (ViEuws)
AmCham Germany Voices for TTIP: Arndt G.Kirchhoff
This video is the first out of six of AmCham Germany’s TTIP video series called “Voices for TTIP.” In this video, Arndt G.Kirchhoff, Chairman, owner and CEO of Kirchhoff Automotive portrays his views on TTIP. He explains why TTIP is important for his company, for Germany as a whole and for the transatlantic relationship at large. By providing concrete examples, he emphasizes the importance of TTIP for small and medium enterprises like Kirchhoff Automotives. (AmCham Germany) – Video in German with English subtitles
Focus on the “M” in SMEs
In her interesting article, Kathryn Hauser refers to my recently released report on the big opportunities for SMEs in TTIP. She takes the case even further, arguing that in fact, TTIP negotiators should focus on the middle-sized enterprises in TTIP. To her, the transatlantic middle markets benefits from strong global potential and scale of larger companies but with the flexibility and drive of smaller firms. Focusing on the “M” in SMEs, TTIP negotiators can show that trade agreements do not only bring benefits for large corporations but in fact for the broad middle. (Policy Connections International)
Pedaling Forward on Trade
Ralph Carter, Managing Director, Regulatory Affairs at FedEx, compares US trade policy to a bicycle: for the past years, the United States has been riding a heavy bike up a steep hill, hardly moving forward. The recent progress made at the APEC summit with regards to the Information Technology Agreement, the new impetus to WTO trade facilitation, and the progress in TPP negotiations might give impetus to the TISA and TTIP – which would give the trade bicycle new momentum. (FedEx)
Food Standards in Trade Agreements: Differing Regulatory Traditions and Tips for TTIP
In her excellent paper, Bettina Rudloff explains the differing regulatory traditions in the European Union and the United States. In addition to tariffs, trade with food is increasingly impeded by non -tariff measures, which impact the costs of transatlantic trade even more than tariffs. Offering concrete suggestions how to reconcile the two regulatory systems, the author emphasizes the huge impetus for economic growth if these NTMs are included in TTIP. (German Institute for International and Security Affairs)
Read the paper in its entirety here.
Upcoming Events
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: SMEs Perspective – December 2 in Sofia, Bulgaria; hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria – More Information
TTIP U.S. Roadshow: The Carolinas- Jobs and Economic Growth for the Carolinas: How TTIP Will Help – December2 in Charlotte; hosted by the Trans- Atlantic Business Council – More Information
ISDS: A Fact- and Experience-Based Review – December 4 in Brussels; hosted by the Trans- Atlantic Business Council – More Information
Global Flow Security: A New Security Agenda for the Transatlantic Community in 2030 – December 4 in Washington DC; hosted by the Center for transatlantic Relations- More Information. Read the online version of their book here.
TTIP 101: What’s In It For You? – December 5 in Washington DC; hosted by the British American Business Association – More Information
Obama’s International Legacy: Now or Never? The United States and International Trade – December 5 in Paris; hosted by Institut Francais des Relations Internationales – More Information
Getting Innovative: How T-TIP Can Boost Transatlantic Entrepreneurship – December 9 in Brussels; hosted by the Bertelsmann Foundation and the United States Mission to the European Union – RSVP here
Invitation: What Can the United States and Europe Still Expect of One Another? December 12-14 in Loccum, Germany; hosted by the Atlantic Community – More Information
The Second Annual EU-US Trade Conference: TTIP Where Now for the EU-US Trade Deal? February 5, 2015 in Brussels; hosted by Forum Europe – More Information
February 2015 – Eighth Round of TTIP Negotiations – More information to follow