EU-US trade deal must have national approval, say MPs

Abstract:

In a letter sent to EU trade commissioner, signed by parliaments in 16 of the EU's 28 countries - including France, Germany and the UK - a call was raised for landmark trade agreements like the ones to be signed with the United States and Canada to become subject to approval by national parliaments before they could become law.

Under the terms of the Lisbon treaty, the European Commission is solely responsible for negotiating trade agreements on the EU's behalf. All trade deals then need the consent of MEPs to be ratified.

However, national parliaments defended that such deals were 'mixed agreements', because they deal with both EU and national competences and so subject to ratification by domestic parliaments.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) http://www.europeansources.info/record/transatlantic-trade-and-investment-partnership-ttip/

ESO: Background information: EU and Canada conclude negotiations on trade deal http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-and-canada-conclude-negotiations-on-trade-deal/

ESO: Background information: National MPs demand more say in EU law-making http://www.europeansources.info/record/national-mps-demand-more-say-in-eu-law-making/

EUabc.com: Agreements with other Countries http://en.euabc.com/word/24

EU Centre in Singapore: Background Brief, No2, 2010: Implications of the Lisbon Treaty on EU External Trade Policy http://aei.pitt.edu/33652/1/LisbonImpactonTrade-rev6Mar.pdf

European Commission: DG Trade: Trade negotiations step by step, 2013 http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2012/june/tradoc_149616.pdf

Blog: TTIP, 03.07.14: EU-US trade deal must be approved by national parliaments http://ttip2014.eu/blog-detail/blog/National%20Parliaments%20TTIP.html

Text of letter referred to in article (via the website of the TTIP2014 Blog) http://ttip2014.eu/files/content/docs/Full%20documents/Letter_to_Mr_De_Gucht_-_role_of_national_parliaments_in_free_trade_agree..._181-238913.pdf

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