During a debate with European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström at the European Parliament's international trade (INTA) committee on Thursday 30 August, several MEPs strongly criticised the Commission's move to try and negotiate a limited trade agreement with the USA without a real mandate from the member states.
Indeed, many hailed the easing of tension following the meeting between US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in Washington at the end of July (see EUROPE 12071). But the concern within the INTA committee is palpable as regards the talks underway with the USA.
"You do not have a real negotiating mandate", Helmut Scholz (GUE/NGL, Germany) told Malmström. Criticising the "absolute opacity" of a process where the European Union grovelled at Trump's demands, Maria Arena (S&D, Belgium) asked Malmström what "the status of this negotiation" was.
For Joachim Schuster (S&D, Germany), the USA continues to threaten the European Union and Europeans are already making concessions in imports although areas of strategic interest for the EU, such as public procurement, are sidelined from the discussions. "What is the content of your mandate?" he asked.
Let things be clear: "we are not in the process of negotiating (...), we are speaking about the possibility of conducting negotiations" on a "more limited" bilateral trade agreement which would concentrate on customs duties and exclude agriculture, Malmström stated. "We are not relaunching TTIP", she insisted, referring to the previous negotiations on a transatlantic trade agreement that failed.
The expert group led by Malmström and US Trade Representative Robert Lightzier, which will meet for second time in Brussels in September, is tasked with assessing the possibility of removing all customs duties on industrial products (with the exception of automotives).
The EU is ready to bring all customs duties on industrial goods to zero if the USA does the same, Malmström stated.
Lowering of standards
Several MEPS – including Anne-Marie Mineur (GUE/NGL, Netherlands) – expressed their fears about a lowering of standards, especially environmental standards, with the offer of increasing imports of soybeans and liquefied natural gas (LNG) into the EU.
"In no case will we review our standards downwards. You do not believe me, but show me an area where we have done it!" Malmström retorted. There will be no discussion on GMOs, she insisted.
As regards imports of soybeans, Malmström said that the soybeans in question, approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), were "not GMOs". In response to the trade war with the USA, China is turning to soybeans from Brazil which can no longer respond to European demand, hence the need to find new sources of supply for the EU, she said.
As for LNG, "there are member states that would like to buy US gas", Malmström said – hence the US desire to grant additional export licences for US gas.
This exploratory work will continue, but the real negotiations will only begin when the member states grant the Commission a mandate. In the meantime, the Commission is talking to the Americans on the basis of the guidelines formulated by the 28 EU member states in Sofia in mid-May (see EUROPE 12022).
Underlining the "flagrant differences" between the EU and USA in the trade domain, Malmström also spoke of sharing certain US concerns stemming from China's behaviour, such as distortions resulting from massive state aid and the forced transfer of technology.
The stated objective is thus to find a positive transatlantic work agenda, especially on the reform of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) (see EUROPE 12084), which will allow tension to eased on a long-term basis. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)