TTIP Action’s What We’re Reading 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).
News
Debate Over US and EU Derivatives Will Not Be Included in Trade Talks | Bloomberg Businessweek
USTR Michael Froman has indicated that transatlantic trade talks will include the discussion of financial service in regard to market access, but negotiations on derivatives regulation will be excluded.
35% of EU Jobs Depend on Intellectual Property Rights | EurActiv
A recent finding by European Patent Office that 39% of all European economic activity, worth €4.7 trillion, arises annually from IPR will likely be used in upcoming TTIP negotiations considering IP-intensive industries account for approximately 90% of the EU’s trade with the rest of the world.
US Embassy to EU in Phase One of Shutdown | EU Observer
Due to the ongoing government shutdown, US embassies are officially operating at 100 percent “as long as there are sufficient fees to support operations.” That being said, the embassies haved stopped establishing new travel, setting new arrangements to attend conferences, and extending new employment offers. Travel for diplomats negotiating major treaties is still permitted, so it looks like next week’s TTIP negotiations will proceed as scheduled whether or not the US Congress can agree on a budget before then.
Silvo Berlusconi Weakened After U-Turn on Letta Support | Financial Times
Despite Silvio Berlusconi’s attempts to derail Italy’s coalition government, lack of support among members of his own party forced the former prime minister to renege on his call for snap elections and reverse course, supporting Prime Minister Letta in his vote for confidence. This is a welcome development for EU observers who feared instability in Italy coud derail the nascent eurozone recovery just as trade negotiations with the United States are set to restart.
EU and US Associations Partner for Transatlantic Trade | Marine Link
Last week, representatives from the leading boating associations in the US and the EU signed a joint declaration to work together to address unnecessary regulatory costs and unjustified regulatory differences between their industries.
Recent Analysis
TTIP Needs To Benefit Average Worker | Atlantic Community
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka argues that TTIP offers the possibility to break away from previous free trade agreements and focus specifically on benefiting US and European workers. He suggests that negotators build upon the existing set of EU labor law where the opinions of workers are better integreated into the policymaking process.
Transatlantic Trade for All | Project Syndicate
The World Bank’s Aaditya Mattoo discusses the positive reaction by many to a potential transatlantic trade agreement, and offers suggestions of how the EU and US can ensure that there are not adverse affects on developing economies.
How the Shutdown Weakens US Foreign Policy | Council on Foreign Relations
Just before the second round of TTIP negotiations are to begin, Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass discusses how the current US government shutdown sends the wrong impression to colleagues across the Atlantic about our williness to get things done.
Upcoming Events
- Second Round of TTIP Negotiations in Brussels – Week of October 7
- Friday October 11, 2013 at 3:30 PM CEST: EU chief negotiator Ignacio Garcia-Bercero and US Chief Negotiator Dan Mullaney will hold a debrief for press. Watch live here.
- Thursday October 24, 2013 – BDI will host a conference in Berlin on the Opportunities and Challenges of TTIP. Click here to register.
- Third Round of TTIP Negotiations in Washington, DC – December 2013