European Parliament calls for more transparency on TTIP talks

The European Parliament (EP) on Thursday calls on the European Commission, which is negotiating on behalf of the European Union with the United States, to be more open about the progress of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations.

"The problem is that the mandate was not published right at the start and this lack of transparency has raised many unjustified fears such as the chlorinated chickens' issue," EP trade committee chair, Bernd Lange said in the debate on the updated mandate for the TTIP talks.

"Parliament must use its influence on framing the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership rules to ensure that they serve all EU citizens," he said.

TTIP Talks have progressed in the past 19 months since it was launched in July 2013. Talks were suspended in January last year because of opposition from the public who worried their own rights may be offended. But the EU leaders hope to wrap it at the end of 2015. Endit