Despite the contradictory signals coming from Berlin, where Germany's vice-chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, thinks that the EU-US free trade (TTIP) talks have failed, the Commission gave assurances on Monday 29 August that it is still on course for concluding an agreement by the end of 2016, strong in the confirmation of its negotiation mandate by European leaders at the end of June.
Echoing the strong protests to TTIP within the coalition leading the German government, Germany's vice-chancellor and minister for the economy, social-democrat Sigmar Gabriel, set the cat among the pigeons on Sunday 28 August, giving assurances that the TTIP negotiations had virtually failed. "The discussions with the USA have de facto failed because we, Europeans, must of course not give in to their demands", he said on German television channel ZDF, adding that "nothing is moving forward".
It was a statement that goes against the position of Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, who continues to support this project. "This agreement is completely fair and very important, and absolutely in the interest of Europe", she had said at the end of July.
Asked on Monday to respond to Gabriel's comments, the Commission declined to comment, saying only that it was staying on course to conclude an agreement before the end of 2016, which will mark the end of the mandate of outgoing US President Barack Obama's administration.
"The EC is negotiating this trade agreement on the basis of the unanimous mandate that EU member states gave us back in 2013. Although trade talks take time, the ball is rolling right now and the EC is making steady progress in the ongoing TTIP negotiations", the Commission's chief spokesperson, Margaritis Schinas, stated.
Following the 14th round of technical-level negotiations in mid-July, the "talks are now entering a crucial stage as we have proposals for almost all chapters on the table and a good sense about the outline of the future agreement", Schinas continued.
At the same time, European trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, and US trade representative Mike Froman are continuing their political level talks. The European trade ministers will be able to review the progress made when they meet informally in Bratislava on 23 September.
"Provided the conditions are right, the Commission stands ready to close this deal by the end of the year. But as President Juncker has said, the Commission will not sacrifice Europe’s safety, health, social and data protection standards or our cultural diversity on the altar of the free trade", Schinas stated.
He added that during the last European Council, the leaders of the 28 EU member states had confirmed the Commission's negotiation mandate. "President Juncker asked the European leaders whether or not the EU should continue to negotiate, and the Commission received once again the mandate to conclude these negotiations. We did not feel that there was a lack of support", he said.
In addition, whilst the recent British referendum vote for the UK to leave the EU (Brexit) has complicated the game for TTIP, Schinas also said that the Commission had a negotiation mandate "on behalf of the 28 EU member states".
The 14th round of TTIP negotations was held in Brussels on 11-15 July and enabled a new exchange of text proposals and a more advanced consolidation of texts already on the table. However, the positions seemed very far apart on the pillar for market access, with the Europeans insisting on greater openness of US public procurement and the protection of geographical indications, and with the Americans demanding more concessions on agricultural tariff liberalisation (EUROPE 11595). (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)