Austria, France propose restarting TTIP under new name

Further information:

In advance of a discussion on the topic at an informal EU Trade Ministers meeting in Bratislava on the 23 September 2016, Austria and France indicated on the 22 September 2016 that they were ready to propose ending the round of talks between the United States and the European Union regarding the Translantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and starting fresh negotiations under a new name.

Earlier in the week a large scale protest had taken place in Brussels by various citizen, NGO and farming interests against the propsed TTIP (US) and CETA (Canada) agreements.

However, in a joint statement from France's largest employers' federation Medef, the GFI industrial federations' group and textiles association, UIT, French business leaders said 'French firms call for negotiations between the European Union and the United States to be pursued, without naivety'.

At the informal meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in the field of trade policy held in Bratislava on the 23 September 2016 EU Trade Ministers agreed on a plan to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Ottawa on the 18 October 2016.

However, the Ministers acknowledged it was now unrealistic to conclude the TTIP negotiations with the United States by the end of 2016. It was said that Germany, France, Austria, Luxembourg and Slovenia had raised strong concerns about the progress of TTIP talks, but had not formally called to abort the negotiations.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: TTIP: Are US-Europe trade talks tanking? http://www.europeansources.info/record/ttip-are-us-europe-trade-talks-tanking/

ESO: Background information: Thousands protest against CETA and TTIP in Brussels http://www.europeansources.info/record/thousands-protest-against-ceta-and-ttip-in-brussels/

Deutsche Welle, 23.09.16: Austria, France push for TTIP restart under new name http://dw.com/p/1K6zy

The Wall Street Journal, 20.09.16: Transatlantic Trade Talks Lack European Leadership http://www.wsj.com/articles/transatlantic-trade-talks-lack-european-leadership-1474398324

Politico, 23.09.16: Minister: Austria, France want US trade deal do-over http://www.politico.eu/article/minister-austria-france-want-us-trade-deal-do-over-ceta-ttip/

The Local.fr, 23.09.16: French business leaders urge rescue of EU-US trade talks https://www.thelocal.fr/20160923/ttip-french-business-leaders-urge-rescue-of-eu-us-trade-talks

Slovak Republic: EU Presidency: Press Release, 23.09.16: Trade ministers discuss TTIP and CETA http://www.eu2016.sk/en/political-and-expert-meetings/foreign-affairs-council-trade-informal-meeting-of-trade-ministers

Politico, 23.09.16: Europe nears trade deal with Canada http://www.politico.eu/article/eu-nears-trade-deal-with-canada-keeps-ttip-on-life-support-ceta-europe/

EUObserver, 23.09.16: EU admits 'unrealistic' to close TTIP deal this year https://euobserver.com/economic/135217

EurActiv, 23.09.16: EU rules out trade deal with the US before Obama leaves office http://www.euractiv.com/section/trade-society/news/eu-rules-out-trade-deal-with-the-us-before-obama-leaves-office/

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