TTIP Action aggregates the latest news and best analysis from across the United States and European Union on the ongoing negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

Speeches & Official Announcements

New US Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria Nuland Talks “Transatlantic Renaissance” in her First Public Address
Assistant Secretary of State for European & Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland spoke to a packed house at the Atlantic Council last night in her first public address in office, highlighting the importance of the transatlantic relationship and urging the United States and Europe to work towards a “transatlantic renaissance.”

While US and EU negotiators work toward a comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in Brussels this week, Amb. Nuland highlighted the benefits of the proposed trade deal: “TTIP can be for our economic health what NATO has been to our shared security for sixty five years: a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.” Amb. Nuland stressed the importance of the deal in supporting “hundreds of thousands of new and better-paying jobs” while “[advancing] the kind of open, rules-based public commons in which our nations thrive.”

You can watch video of the event and read her prepared remarks here.

News
Update on the Second Round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Negotiations | European Commission

The first half of this week’s TTIP negotiations focused on services and investment. On Wednesday, negotiators began discussing sectoral regulatory issues with energy and raw material regulatory coherence on deck. Official from both the US and EU will present the progress achieved over the week at a press conference on Friday.

US Pushes for Deal Despite NSA Scandal | Spiegel
Despite some pressure in Europe to pause the TTIP talks given recent NSA revelations, the US government and European Union are pushing forward. Both sides understand the need to handle data privacy issues in concert with their trade and investment agenda, and for now the US argument to keep the two talks going simultaneously appears to be winning.

Senators Push to Expand Access for Agricultural Goods | Senator Gillibrand’s Office
Given New York’s position as the second largest apple producer and fourth largest pear producer in American, US Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are voicing their support for increased access to European markets for their producers under a successful TTIP.

Recent Analysis

How Latvia is Poised to be a Major Player in the Baltic and Beyond | Atlantic Community
TTIP presents a unique opportunity for Latvia to provide leadership in the Baltic region. The proposed regulations could streamline shipping and make the region a focal point in one of the world’s largest supply chains with access to emerging markets.

Prospects for Regulatory Convergence Under TTIP | Bruegel
One of the key concerns for regulatory convergence is the ambitious reform TTIP hopes to accomplish while pitted against a tight timeline. Supama Karmakar suggests that TTIP “create a living (or progressive commitment) agreement on regulatory cooperation with a horizontal template for coherence and conformity asssessment and a detailed monitoring mechanism, with implementation starting immediately for a few selected sectors.”

Europe-United States: Create a Common Market for Half the World’s GDP | La Tribune
Writing for La Tribune, the American Chamber of Commerce in France argues that TTIP is a more important opportunity than ever given the slow growth rates in Europe and need for a boost to employment in France. Given that the US is the largest investor in France, even ahead of Germany, and US investment is already responsible for over 450,000 jobs in France, these numbers stand to gain successfully through an ambitious transatlantic agreement. Full article in FRENCH.

Why TTIP is a Priority for British Business | BritishAmerican Business
Simon Moore, director of the Confederation of British Industries International, writes that TTIP will strengthen the British economy for years to come and ensure the UK remains competitive even as global economic strength rebalances towards the East and South.

Upcoming Events

• This Week: Second Round of TTIP Negotiations in Brussels.
• November 13-14 | Seventh Annual Transatlantic Business Conference in Frankfurt, Germany. Click here for more information on registration.
• November 15 | Media Briefing on Second Round of TTIP Negotiations by US and EU chief trade negotiators. Watch online or click here for more information on registration
• November 15 | The European Commission will hold a briefing for stakeholders during the second round of negotiations- November 15. Click here to register.
• December 2 | The 2013 Mortimer Caplin Conference on the World Economy presents: The TTIP: A Multilateral Perspective. Register Here.
• December 16-20 | Third Round of TTIP Negotiations in Washington
• January 2013 | Stock-taking exercise between EU Commissioner Karel de Gucht and USTR Michael Froman

Employment Opportunities

Assistant Director, Transatlantic Relations, Atlantic Council