The TTIP negotiations: A Pirandello play

This synthesis by Elvire Fabry, Giorgio Garbasso and Romain Pardo presents the main issues discussed during the experts seminar entitled 'Engaging the TTIP negotiation. Lessons learned from the EU's historical and current use use of regulatory competition', organised by Notre Europe - Jacques Delors Institute in partnership with the European Policy Centre (EPC), on 27 November 2013 in Brussels.

Numerous parameters in the negotiations are still open and have yet to be clarified by the negotiators in order to choose the negotiating method most likely to allow the project to be successfully completed and to meet the approval of their mandators. Several issues were raised:

1. What do these negotiations aim to achieve on both the economic and geostrategic levels?
2. What are the ground rules?
3. Who are the main players?
4. What will be the impactof the TTIP on world trade?
5. And last but not least, how should the negotiating timeframe be managed?

The debates were introduced by the following speakers:
+ Pascal Lamy, honorary president of Notre Europe – Jacques Delors Institute and former director of the WTO;
+ Ignacio Garcia Bercero, chief negoiator of the European Commission;
+ François Heisbourg, special adviser to the Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS);
+ Jonathan Faull, director general for the internal market at the European Commission;
+ Marc Vanheukelen, head of cabinet of EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: French senators strongly attack EU-US trade deal http://www.europeansources.info/record/french-senators-strongly-attack-eu-us-trade-deal/

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