Brussels, 22/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - Shortly before the start of the 13th round of negotiations at technical level for an EU/US free-trade agreement (TTIP), to be held in New York from 25 to 29 April, Germany and France confirmed their unity, on Friday 22 April, in a common position signed by their respective Secretaries of State with responsibility for the dossier, Matthias Machnig and Matthias Fekl, pledging their “support” for the conclusion of an “ambitious, balanced and mutually beneficial” agreement.
In this regard, for questions other than customs duty, including regulatory convergence, “significant commitments” on public procurement, services, geographical indications and the removal of unnecessary non-tariff barriers, particularly in the industrial and agri-food sectors, are “essential”, Machnig and Fekl stress.
“These issues must be included in the TTIP, in full respect of the choices and preferences of each of our societies and laying down ambitious commitments in terms of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. Substantial eliminations of customs duty are therefore an important but insufficient component of the agreement”, stresses their declaration, which details the Franco German expectations, point by point.
“The TTIP we want is an agreement which is favourable to our workers, our consumers and our businesses. In order to be acceptable, it has to be recognised as a 'mixed' agreement, in other words subject to the ratification of the national parliaments. It must also be negotiated transparently, to involve the national parliaments and allow the public and all stakeholders to contribute to this important project”, the declaration concludes. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)