In an effort to ensure transparency, on Wednesday 30 January the European Commission published an eight-page interim report to the European Parliament and Member States outlining the work of the Executive Working Group with the United States. It details on a point by point basis the steps taken in the implementation of its "positive" roadmap, jointly identified by Presidents Juncker and Trump last July (see EUROPE 12071).
The document details the work of the Executive Working Group, launched in September 2018 and led by EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.
In recent months, these have focused on the development of a series of short and medium-term deliverables on regulatory issues, the Commission recalls in its document.
Summary of progress and project details
The text focuses on the five tracks identified in July 2018, outlining the progress made and detailing the next steps identified:
1) publication of a draft mandate, on 18 January 2019, to completely eliminate customs duties on industrial goods, except motor vehicles (see EUROPE 12175);
2) Identification of various ways to reduce barriers and increase trade in services (little progress to date), chemicals (idem), pharmaceuticals (agreement in principle on the extension of the mutual recognition agreement to veterinary medicines), medical products (several avenues of voluntary cooperation explored, including single audit reports), soya (including the validation of the certification system for US soya production with EU sustainability standards - see EUROPE 12182), but also cybersecurity (upcoming meetings on standards and conformity assessment);
3) in the implementation of a close transatlantic dialogue on standards, the Commission's proposal in Washington to work together on the development of new standards and the publication of a draft mandate to negotiate a transatlantic agreement on conformity assessment (see EUROPE 12175);
4) Enhanced strategic cooperation in the energy field, including increased imports into the EU of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States (see EUROPE 12170);
5) Launching work to reform the World Trade Organisation to prevent unfair trade practices: Among other actions, the EU has made proposals to this end, both individually (see EUROPE 12164, 12170) and with the United States (see EUROPE 12169, 12146), while fostering dialogue with its main trading partners.
Plenary debate
A few hours before the first plenary debate in the European Parliament on the content of the two negotiating mandates with the United States, the Commission is playing the transparency card. "Trade discussions and negotiations in which the EU is involved have to be transparent and inclusive and the ongoing talks with the United States are no exception. [...] It is my firm intention to ensure the highest level of transparency throughout this process", said Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström in a press release.
The Commission is no doubt trying to do its utmost to win the support of MEPs and prevent public criticism, but also to take the opposite approach to that of the TTIP negotiations: accused of being conducted under conditions of total secrecy, they caused major outcry, both in the European Parliament and in public opinion (see EUROPE 11952).
See original report: https://bit.ly/2HF8c86 (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)