Free trade

TTIP: The big chunks are still to come

In Brussels, the 14. TTIP negotiating round has been completed. The chances are that it will come this year on a free trade agreement between the EU and the US, are getting smaller and smaller.

14. Round of negotiations on the planned free trade agreement between the EU and the USA (TTIP) ended with a clear commitment to a comprehensive and ambitious agreement. “A TTIP light is not enough,” said EU chief negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero in Brussels on Friday. His US counterpart Dan Mullaney agrees with the.

However, both saw a lot of work to come to you. “We are in an advanced stage of negotiations, but of course much remains to be done,” said Garcia Bercero. Consolidated texts of all the 30 negotiation chapters are not yet on the table. The had want the Partner to the negotiations terminate, as planned, later this year.

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The hard issues are still to come

The latter, however, is still possible. “The EU has an ambitious schedule for its trade agreements, we want to TTIP quickly,” said Garcia Bercero. The work at the expert level will go on next week and the whole of the summer break, said the negotiator. “We are well on schedule to the end of the summer of consolidated texts,” said Garcia Bercero.

In the latest round, there have been a lot of progress. For example, the EU and the USA had agreed a separate Chapter for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Text. On labour rights, energy, sustainable development, protected designations of origin and much else had been negotiated. “Nothing we do, will weaken existing EU Standards,” said Garcia Bercero, in this context.

At the end of September, the EU cases-Minister for trade possible policy decisions for the further course of the TTIP negotiations. Mullaney confirmed the will of the US President, Barack Obama, the TTIP this year.

Both negotiators pointed out that the toughest negotiations to be tackled. “The most difficult points are always addressed at the end,” said Mullaney. The TTIP-negotiations, under these conditions, in fact, still 2016 to complete, there must be a strong political will.

Negotiations for three years

No statements should succeed this year, threaten to significantly greater delays. The current US government under President Obama is replaced in January. Experts believe that the new US Administration would be under a new President, only towards the end of 2017, ready to continue the negotiations.

The EU Commission and the US government have been in negotiations since 2013 on the proposed agreement. The economy should be on both sides of the Atlantic, a huge boost by duties and other trade barriers are dismantled. Critics fear that with the TRANS-Atlantic free trade agreement Standards in consumer and environmental protection will be reduced and genetic engineering holds in Europe.

After the Brexit vote, the proposed free trade agreement with the EU is for the US, less interesting. The UK was a “very important part of the EU” and have “significant share” of the attractiveness of the TTIP, said the US trade representative, Michael Froman. German business representatives stressed, just after the British Referendum for a EU-exit TTIP is of great importance. Whether a negotiated completion in 2016, can succeed, is more open.

TTIP without the UK “less interesting”

After the UK, 25 percent of the U.S., according to Froman exports towards the European Union. The USA would now need to think about what to offer to the country in the EU, and of your call, “because at the end of the day, a balanced agreement is necessary,” said the trade representative, on Thursday in front of journalists. If Britain is taken as the fifth largest economy in the world from the “equation” out, have “influence on the Balance”.

The German engineering Association VDMA said on Friday, after the Brexit vote “TTIP is more important than ever for European industry”. A conclusion of the agreement “would be an important Signal to companies and investors that Europe is preparing itself for future competition on the world market,” explained VDMA managing Director Thilo Brodtmann. “The European Union must prove that it is in spite of the political crisis after the Brexit vote.”

Also, the President of the German chamber of industry and Commerce day (DIHK), Eric Schweitzer, required additional efforts for the conclusion of TTIP. The negotiating partners had to proceed “with a stronger political will,” he said the “New osnabrück newspaper”. Schweitzer warned that the Brexit vote as new uncertainties arise. “Therefore, the cooperation with the United States, our main trading partner, increased in importance.”

who/zdh (afpd, dpa, rtrd)