{"id":3812,"date":"2016-08-10T09:46:57","date_gmt":"2016-08-10T14:46:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/itn.mattrock.ca\/?p=3812"},"modified":"2024-08-09T18:27:13","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T16:27:13","slug":"brexit-and-contentious-topics-complicate-ttip-negotiations-public-opposition-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iisd.org\/itn\/2016\/08\/10\/brexit-and-contentious-topics-complicate-ttip-negotiations-public-opposition-continues\/","title":{"rendered":"Brexit and contentious topics complicate TTIP negotiations; public opposition continues"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 14th<\/sup>\u00a0round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations was held in Brussels from July 11 to 15, 2016. Chief negotiators from the European Union, Ignacio Bercero, and United States, Dan Mullaney,\u00a0admitted<\/a>\u00a0the need to overcome significant differences regarding services and procurement, despite progress on tariff elimination and regulatory cooperation.<\/p>\n

Another factor holding back negotiations is Britain\u2019s June 23 vote to leave the European Union. Mullaney\u00a0emphasized<\/a>\u00a0the need to reflect on this development: \u201cImagine if the United States said, for instance, \u2018Well, maybe TTIP will not apply to California\u2019.\u201d Europe\u2019s second-largest economy, the United Kingdom is the largest market for U.S. services worldwide and accounts for 25 per cent of U.S. exports to the European Union.<\/p>\n

As reported by\u00a0The Guardian<\/a>\u00a0on July 20, certain U.S. officials suggest pushing for a \u201cpotentially swift bilateral trade and investment deal\u201d with the United Kingdom as soon as it formally exits the European Union. This would serve to consolidate British\u2013American economic relations as well as to expedite TTIP negotiations.<\/p>\n

Opposition by civil society to the TTIP continues on many fronts. Outside the closed doors of the 14th<\/sup>\u00a0round of negotiations, 40 protesters were escorted away by Brussels police after\u00a0\u201cattacking\u201d officials with confetti<\/a>. Opinion polls in\u00a0Germany<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Luxembourg<\/a>\u00a0indicate that people in both countries believe the agreement will bring more disadvantages than advantages. Civil society organizations from both countries and 18 other EU<\/span> states signed a letter to Council of Europe President Donald Tusk demanding the immediate\u00a0withdrawal of the European Commission\u2019s mandate<\/a>\u00a0to negotiate the TTIP.<\/p>\n

Lack of transparency and of opportunities for public participation in negotiations is among the reasons for opposition. On May 2, Greenpeace Netherlands\u00a0leaked several negotiating documents<\/a>, and\u00a0called for debate before any further negotiations<\/a>. The European Commission furthered its commitment to transparency by\u00a0publishing nine of its proposals<\/a>\u00a0during the 14th<\/sup>\u00a0round.<\/p>\n

In February the chief EU and U.S. negotiators\u00a0had announced<\/a>\u00a0their intention to produce a consolidated draft by the end of July. At the end of the 14th<\/sup>\u00a0round, Bercero affirmed this was more likely to occur by the end of September.<\/p>\n

More News in Brief<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n