Ignore the Critics – TTIP is Something the Left should Fight for
In his opinion piece, John Healey, a British Labour Party MP and chair of the the All-Party Parliamentary Group on EU-US Trade & Investment, addresses recent criticism of the political Left on TTIP. Healey urges the critics to consider TTIP as an unprecedented bilateral trade deal among economic equals, with opportunities to create millions of jobs and lower prices for consumers. He acknowledges criticism regarding public services and the potential inclusion of ISDS in TTIP but insists that instead of outright rejecting an agreement, progressives should fight for a fair and free deal. (Independent)

Speeches and Official Announcements 

Keynote Speech by Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem at the Atlantic Council: “New Growth Deal for the Eurozone: Connecting the Reform Agenda, Budgetary Consolidation and Supportive Investments”
“The Eurozone must get its act together and regain its competitiveness and job-creating capacity. This requires further reforms. We owe this to our citizens.”
Last Friday, the Atlantic Council hosted Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem for a public discussion about the challenges and opportunities of the Eurozone reform agenda. Dijsselbloem argued that a mix of monetary and fiscal policies combined with structural changes of the banking system and smarter public investment will help induce growth. In addition, Dijsselbloem stressed the importance of political will that is needed to act quickly to jump start economic reforms, claiming that politicians should not only focus on getting re-elected but on “getting things done”. On TTIP, he stated that the “agreement is crucial for economic growth and will create opportunities for both sides. We need to get it done.”
Read his speech in its entirety here.
Watch the webcast featuring his speech and the ensuing discussion with Atlantic Council’s Dr. Chris Brummer here.

Remarks by Ambassador Michael Froman at Columbus, Ohio Mayor Michael B. Coleman’s Small Business Conference
“When you take all those advantages that the United States has as a place to invest, when you layer on top of them these trade agreements that we’re negotiating, the Trans-Pacific Partnership with the Asia-Pacific and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union, it positions the United States to be at the center of a web of agreements that will give us unfettered access to over two-thirds of the global economy.”
At the Columbus, Ohio Small Business Conference last Thursday, Ambassador Michael Froman spoke about the importance of exports for the city of Columbus and explained how trade agreements such as TPP and TTIP will support Columbus’ SMEs and unlock additional economic opportunities and create jobs in Ohio. in Ohio. (Office of the United States Trade Representative)
Read his speech in its entirety here.

News

Vice-Presidents to lead Teams of Commissioners
Jean-Claude Juncker’s Commission will comprise seven vice-presidents who will overlook the remaining 20 commissioners in so-called “project teams” within designated policy areas. Despite this hierarchical composition, the Commissioners will remain a college of equals, with the vice-presidents simply steering and coordinating the project teams, whose composition might alter with a change in issue.
European Voice provides an excellent overview over the incoming Vice-Presidents and their respective project teams, this is a handy way to keep track of who’s-who and who’s responsible for what in the new Commission.

Eurozone Woes Boost Anti-Austerity Camp
Eurozone member-states have until Wednesday to submit their draft budgets for next year to the European Commission. France has already stated that it will miss its deficit target, which has opened a major debate within Europe about the implications of France’s failure for the credibility of the Eurozone, as well as whether or not France will be penalized. Germany is increasingly isolated as it continues to insist upon further austerity measures, and was criticized for its insufficient public sector investments and lack of measures to enhance its future competitiveness. (Deutsche Welle)

France wants Billions from EU’s ‘New Deal’
Referring to the European Commission’s plans to create a new investment fund, French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron sad that France would commit to pushing through new reforms if they would receive 10 billion Euros annually from the new deal in return. France has so far failed to meet its deficit target, and its new budget plans are “simply not good enough” and “too far off target,” as Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem emphasized at the Atlantic Council on Friday. Dijsselbloem further urged that “the Eurozone must get its act together. No monetary or fiscal stimulus can substitute for making economies more competitive.” (EU Observer)

‘Transatlantic Transparency will come once Deal on Table’
As a conclusion of her seven-stop visit around Europe, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Julieta Valls visited Malta to talk to Foreign Minister George Vella about the “transformational opportunities” that the conclusion of TTIP would offer SMEs on both sides of the Atlantic. She is convinced that the new Commission will give new impetus to the negotiations, and assured the people of Malta that the text of the agreement will be available to the public for an open dialogue about the merits of TTIP once negotiators have agreed on details. (Times of Malta)

Small Businesses could Save €41bn on EU Red Tape
In line with a conference on “Smart Regulation in the EU,” hosted by the European Commission in Brussels on October 14, the High Level Group on Administrative Burden has issued recommendations to reduce bureaucratic burdens for small businesses in the European Union by exempting them from EU obligations if possible. Chaired by former Minister of Bavaria Edmund Stoiber, the group is convinced that the proposed measures would save small businesses 41 billion euros annually on regulatory compliance costs. (EU Observer)

Recent Analysis 

Transatlantic Partnership is Vital, but Uninspired
This article by the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle talks about the Aspen Institute’s 40th Anniversary conference in Berlin last Thursday. US Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, Victoria Nuland’s view that transatlantic relations remain of paramount importance. She notably emphasized both NATO relations and the conclusion of TTIP. Her views were broadly shared by the wider audience. However, critical voices also insisted that the relationship had been damaged by last summer’s NSA spying scandal. The lack of trust that has ensued can only be resolved if governments are more sensitive about how their citizens feel about important issues, and then act accordingly. (Deutsche Welle)

VIDEO: Brussels Briefing on Trade: All you need to know for October 13 – 27
In this briefing on trade, Lénaïc Vaudin d’Imécourt, Trade Editor of EU Trade Insights, provides an excellent overview of the European Union’s most pressing trade issues of the upcoming two weeks. Issues discussed include a meeting on TTIP between outgoing EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and US Trade Representative Michael Froman in Rome on October 14, the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee extraordinary meeting on October 20, and the Parliament’s vote on the new EU Commission at the end of the month. (ViEUws)

A Better Way to Arbitrate
This opinion piece by the Economist addresses common misperceptions on national standards, ISDS, and democracy in TTIP. According to the author, the criticism regarding ISDS mechanisms is exaggerated but not entirely unfounded as the procedures should be revised and improved. However, the author makes a strong case for ISDS in TTIP, suggesting that negotiators of TTIP should consider adopting the existing WTO model where only states can initiate complaints and trials are open to public scrutiny. (Economist)
The Atlantic Community provides another excellent opinion piece by Hendrike Kuehl on how ISDS provides necessary investment protection, and does not represent some sort of nefarious avenue to further corporate profit.

Whither the Transatlantic Digital Relationship?
Referring back to the speech on a transatlantic digital market by European Commission’s outgoing Vice President for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, this article looks at the recent rise of protectionist measures in digital markets and growing anti-American rhetoric in Europe. The author stresses the importance of TTIP and renewing the transatlantic Safe Harbor agreement for both economic and digital integration, respectively, and is convinced that the new Commission will provide new impetus and help refocusing on the “big picture.” of transatlantic digital cooperation (The Hill)

The Impact of TTIP- The underlying Economic Model and Comparisons
This paper is the first in a special series of reports on TTIP written by the Centre for European Policy Studies at the request of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade. This very elaborate study looks at the economic and other impacts of TTIP, its underlying economic model, and assesses several previous economic analyses of TTIP to gauge the impact of an agreement on economic growth in Europe and the United States. (CEPS)

Upcoming Events

Friends of TTIP Breakfast Debate – October 15 in Brussels; hosted by Daniel Caspary MEP and Prof. Dr. Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl MEP – More Information

Canada, the United States, and Trade Reforms: Best Friends, Best Partners, Best Potential Competitors? – October 17 in Washington DC; hosted by Johns Hopkins SAIS and the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States – More Information

Global Implications of Data Flows between the US and EU – October 22 in Washington DC; hosted by the Brookings Institution – More Information

TTIP Town Hall – What does the Agreement Mean for Philadelphia? – October 22 in Philadelphia, PA; hosted by the Bertelsmann Foundation – More Information

Encouraging Transatlantic Startups – October 24 in London; hosted by The Global Innovation Forum and Level 39 – More Information

Manchester Policy Week – TTIP: Cash Bonanza or Risky Deal? – November 4 in Manchester, United Kingdom; hosted by the Politics department at The University of Manchester – More Information

Launch of new Atlantic Council Publication: TTIP – Big Benefits for Small Companies – November 14 in Washington – More information forthcoming.