Brussels, 17/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 17 April, Republicans and Democrats at the US Congress agreed on introducing a draft law granting increased powers to US President Barack Obama to negotiate the free trade agreements with the EU (TTIP) and with 11 countries from the Asia-Pacific region (TPP) as part of a fast track procedure.
This law would set the parameters of future trade agreements and include obligations on transparency, social, environmental and human rights criteria, and a stronger guardianship of Congress in the negotiations. The US president would be able to negotiate an agreement and ask Congress to block vote for or against the agreement, without the possibility of amendment. The fast track procedure would rule out any risk of obstruction or stalemate. It would expire in July 2018 (in other words, after Obama's mandate, which expires in January 2017), with a three-year renewal possible. (Emmanuel Hagry)