Brussels, 13/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has not followed European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Androulla Vassiliou and European Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier in their desire to keep the audiovisual sector outside the draft mandate of their colleague, European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht.
On Tuesday 12 March, the College of Commissioners adopted the European Commission's draft mandate ahead of the EU-United States free trade negotiations that Brussels and Washington agreed in mid-February to conduct (see EUROPE 10785). The draft mandate will now be sent to the European Council, which must give its green light before formally launching the negotiations. De Gucht hopes for a quick agreement of the member states so that the negotiations can begin before the summer.
According to the joint scoping exercise that took over a year, the scope of the negotiations includes tariff liberalisation for agricultural and industrial products, the liberalisation of trade in services, investment and access to public procurement, regulatory convergence and the lifting of non-tariff barriers, competition rules and intellectual property.
Telling press in Strasbourg on Tuesday about the Commission's adoption of his draft negotiating mandate, De Gucht acknowledged that sensitive files exist but seemed reassuring. Hard discussions are expected between the member states - in particular on the agricultural chapter and also on the liberalisation of cultural services. At the end of February, France said it supported the principle of a transatlantic free trade agreement - but one that respected the CAP and the cultural exception.
“I would like to kill off some rumours. In the Commission's opinion, cultural diversity is an asset and a value that should be defended”, De Gucht stated, giving assurances that the member states could continue to support their audiovisual sector - particularly through distribution quotas or production subsidies. Reiterating the importance of the cultural exception, Vassiliou and Barnier advocated that the audiovisual sector be kept outside the mandate. However, they were in the minority within the college of commissioners.
With regard to the food processing chapter, De Gucht promised that the future transatlantic agreement would not change the current Community legislation on GMOs in the slightest.
Generally, the draft mandate proposes the elimination of the last remaining customs duties between the EU and the United States (of 4% on average), the revision of the rules on public procurement and the elimination of a maximum of non-tariff barriers through regulatory convergence.
A new study conducted by the Centre for Economic Policy Research revalues the potential gains of an agreement upwards - they could reach €120 billion per year for Europe and €95 billion per year for the United States. A gain of €545 for a family of four in Europe is suggested, while the study forecasts a leap of 28% in European exports to the American market. (EH/transl.fl)