Brussels, 19/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 18 December, the EU heads of state and government underlined their ambition of finalising the transatlantic trade and investment partnership agreement (TTIP) by the end of 2015. The next round of negotiations is scheduled in Brussels for the week of 2 February.
“The EU and US should make all efforts to conclude negotiations on an ambitious, comprehensive and mutually beneficial TTIP by the end of 2015”, the European Council conclusions state.
“We agreed that efforts must be made for this agreement to be finalised towards the end of 2015, but without Europe abandoning a certain number of principles that it holds dear, like maintaining public services”, said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the end of the summit. “Water will not be privatised”, he added, trying again to reassure the concerns of public opinion about the risk of a watered-down agreement and about the erosion of social and environmental standards and health protection.
The UK's Prime Minister David Cameron was pleased that during Thursday's summit there had been a strong and successful push for an ambitious TTIP.
News on ISDS in early January. European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström said during her visit to Paris at the start of the week that she will present the results of the consultation on the chapter on investment protection, and on the clause on the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism, to the college of commissioners on 7 or 13 January. The announcement of the results should be followed swiftly by a debate at the European Parliament, and Malmström wants this issue to be added to the agenda of the next European trade ministers' meeting on 7 May. (EH)