Brussels, 08/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - At the time of EUROPE going to press on Monday 8 December, new European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström was in Washington and due to meet US Trade Representative Mike Froman in order to take stock of the negotiations between the EU and US for a transatlantic trade and investment partnership agreement (TTIP). The objective was to give fresh momentum to the talks which ground to a halt after the seventh round of negotiations on the technical level in June 2013, and after renewing the leaders of the EU bodies and the US mid-term elections.
On Monday, Malmström had earlier met the new EU ambassador to the US, David O'Sullivan. After her meeting with Froman, Malmström was due to meet representatives from the transatlantic dialogue for consumers.
On Tuesday, Malmström will take part in a round table discussion at the US Chamber of Commerce with members of the business coalition for transatlantic trade, and she will then meet members of Congress - including chairman of the house ways and means committee, Dave Camp (Republican, Michigan) and chairman-designate for the next US Congress, Paul Ryan (Republican, Wisconsin). Malmström will also hold meetings with the co-chairs of the TTIP caucus at the House of Representatives - William Keating (Democrat, Massachusetts), Erik Paulsen (Republican, Minnesota), Richard Neal (Democrat, Massachusetts) and Todd Young (Republican, Indiana). (EH)