Recommendation for a Decision authorising the opening of negotiations of an agreement with the United States of America on the elimination of tariffs for industrial goods

Summary:

Legislative proposal presented by the European Commission in January 2019 recommending the opening of negotiations for a potential trade agreement with the United States strictly focused on industrial goods, excluding agricultural products.

Further information:

The recommended Decision provides for a draft negotiating mandate, aimed at guiding negotiations on a trade deal relating to the elimination of tariffs for industrial goods only. The Recommendation was adopted by the European Commission on 18 January 2019 and formally adopted by the Council of the European Union on 15 April.

The Recommendation for the opening of negotiations between the European Union (EU) and the United States of America (USA) was published in the framework of a Joint Statement agreed between the President of the European Commission and the US President in July 2018 with the aim to launch a new phase in the trade relationship between the two sides.

• Primary Source

News

Reuters, 15/04/2019: EU says it is ready to launch U.S. trade talks, but without agriculture https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1RR0OZ

Deutsche Welle, 15/04/2019: EU backs start of trade talks with US https://p.dw.com/p/3Gm7h

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Official

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Procedure File for Proposal on opening of negotiations of an agreement with the USA on the elimination of tariffs for industrial goods https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=COM(2019)0016

European Commission: Press Release, 18/01/2019: EU-US trade talks: European Commission presents draft negotiating mandates http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-19-502_en.htm

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 15/04/2019: Trade with the United States: Council authorises negotiations on elimination of tariffs for industrial goods and on conformity assessment https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2019/04/15/trade-with-the-united-states-council-authorises-negotiations-on-elimination-of-tariffs-for-industrial-goods-and-on-conformity-assessment/

European Commission: Press Release, 15/04/2019: EU-U.S. Trade: Commission welcomes Council's green light to start negotiations with the United States http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-19-2148_en.htm

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