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EU, US officials sketch out TTIP work programme for next year

Xinhua, December 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom and US Trade Representative Michael Froman were meeting in Brussels on Friday to take stock of progress in the ongoing Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks and to sketch out the work programme for the next year.

"The European Union and the United States have made considerable progress towards a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in the past year, notably since the G7 Elmau summit in June, when we agreed to accelerate work on all elements of the agreement," Malmstrom and Froman said in a joint statement after the conclusion of their meeting on the TTIP.

The two sides are committed to expeditiously reaching "an ambitious, comprehensive agreement that promotes economic growth and jobs, strengthens strategic partnership, and reflects shared values."

"We agreed to further intensify our work during 2016 to help negotiations move forward rapidly, including through enhanced intersessional work, frequent formal negotiating rounds, and increased Minister level consultations," their joint statement said.

"I'm here this week to work with my Commission colleagues and also consult with the European Parliament's members and member states' representatives about how best we can accelerate the work that has to be done with a goal of trying to reach a conclusion of this agreement," Froman told a group of journalists on the eve of his meeting with Malmstrom.

Earlier the same day Froman met with Phil Hogan, EU Commissioner responsible for agriculture. "I've just had a good, frank and productive meeting," Hogan commented on Twitter.

Market access for agricultural products is one of the key sticking points in the negotiations. While the U.S. is pushing for a full liberalisation of tariffs, the EU wants to ring fence a number of the most sensitive agricultural products.

The EU system of protected agricultural names, known as geographical indications (GIs) is another stumbling block. The U.S. is reluctant to open its market to imports of French Champagne or Italian Gorgonzola, while losing the right to use such names for their own products.

According to sources, the US might want to replicate in TTIP the solution used in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, where GIs are neither prohibited nor are their rights guaranteed.

Meanwhile, as in recently sealed free trade agreements, eg with Vietnam or Canada, the EU intends to secure a list of GIs that would be fully protected in the U.S..

In addition to agriculture, the U.S. and the EU face tough talks over the Investment Court System (ICS) and public procurement, which will be the focus of a February negotiating round.

The U.S. has signaled its concerns about certain elements of the EU's offer on the ICS, the appeal mechanism in particular.

On public procurement, expectations are high in the EU concerning the US proposal to be presented at the next negotiating round. There is a strong belief among EU member states that the US offer should go beyond the federal level. Endit