Brussels, 09/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - Taking stock of the progress of the negotiations for a transatlantic trade and investment partnership (TTIP), the European trade ministers informally agreed, on Thursday 8 May, to publish the negotiation mandate granted to the European Commission.
This decision aims to convince the general public, who are increasingly hostile to the TTIP, that the future free-trade agreement is not being negotiated behind closed doors, said the head of Belgian diplomacy, Didier Reynders, reported by the agency Belga. “If we do not make use of transparency, we are giving a weapon [to the opponents of the TTIP]. Everybody can say whatever they like (…), it gives the impression that you have something to hide”, he explained. Reynders stressed that he had long been a proponent of transparency in this matter and said that he had “convinced the Greek Presidency to move in this direction”.
Thursday's decision still has to be confirmed next week by the ambassadors of the member states, following consultations in the capitals. Not all of the European trade ministers were present on Thursday. “I hope that there will not be any turnaround”, the Belgian minister said.
Shortly beforehand, the French secretary of state for trade, Fleur Pellerin, speaking at a press conference, stressed the need to publish the mandate for reasons of transparency to the public. Pointing out that France has long been in favour of publishing the mandate, Pellerin said that three member states at the Council remained to be convinced.
Pellerin also called for the situation to be “de-dramatised” regarding an agreement which is often presented in a “needlessly alarmist manner”. “In the run-up to the European elections, points can be scored from pedagogy”, she said, stating firstly that the EU and the US “are approaching the negotiations on an equal footing”, with interests which are “not only defensive, but also offensive”, such as in textiles, cold meat products, or access to the American public procurement markets. Secondly, “red lines have been drawn” in the Commission's negotiation mandate, such as the exclusion of the audiovisual sector and the defence sector, but also the “respect to certain preferences which have the consensus of society” in agri-food matters. There will be no GM, chlorinated chicken or hormone beef in Europe, she insisted.
As for concerns related to the provisions on an investor/state dispute settlement mechanism (ISDS), which could give multinational companies influence over government decisions by dissuading them from making rules in the health, social and environmental fields, Pellerin reiterated that “France is not calling for” a mechanism of this kind to be included in the TTIP negotiations. However, “firmly opposing the inclusion of a mechanism of this kind in agreement with the United States or Canada would set a precedent which would put us in a delicate situation in future negotiations if we called for a clause of this type from the emerging developing countries”, she warned. The ISDS “can be useful in negotiations with countries in which trade justice does not necessarily include standards which are likely to protect our companies”, she explained. “There is a balance to be struck”, she stressed.
After the Council, Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht also highlighted his efforts to “debunk myths”, “dissipate the doubts surrounding the TTIP negotiations”. “It is true that there are quite a few misunderstandings”, he said, pointing out that he had promoted the TTIP agreement alongside the German authorities earlier this week in Berlin.
The TTIP negotiations, which were launched in July 2013, have so far seen four rounds of technical talks, the most recent in mid-March of this year (see EUROPE 11039), and an initial exchange of tariff offers in February. The next round is scheduled for the week of 19 May in Washington. (EH)