TTIP: more US market access, reform investment protection, retain EU standards

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Series Details 28.05.15
Publication Date 28/05/2015
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The European Parliament (EP) updated its position on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) on the 28 May 2015, outlining what issues were important to MEPs. The International Trade Committee, which was the lead EP committee in charge, adopted a draft report, providing guidelines to the current negotiations. MEPs would vote on this draft report during the June plenary (scheduled for 10 June 2015).

The draft report said that an EU-US trade deal should deepen EU access to the US market, but must not undermine EU standards or the right to regulate in the public interest. Tools for resolving disputes between investors and states should be reformed and improved, they added.

As the final vote in the European Parliament came closer, it was reported that the fragile support to the trade deal might be undone following a great lack of consensus within the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) group in the chamber.

It became clear on the 9 June 2015 that the vote planned for the 10 June 2015 would be postponed because of divisions within, in particular, the S&D Group and pressure from NGOs opposed to the investor protection clauses and other aspects of the proposed TTIP agreement.

It was later announced that an extraordinary meeting of the international trade committee would take place on 29 June.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20150528IPR60432/
Related Links
EUObserver, 28.05.15: MEPs back US free trade after Socialist U-turn https://euobserver.com/news/128877
ESO: Background information: Investor-state dispute settlement proposals debated with Commissioner Malmström http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-investor-state-dispute-settlement-proposals-debated-with-commissioner-malmstrom/
ESO: Key Source: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) http://www.europeansources.info/record/transatlantic-trade-and-investment-partnership-ttip/
ESO: Background information: EU-US trade deal: 14 EP committees have their say http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-eu-us-trade-deal-14-ep-committees-have-their-say/
BBC News, 28.05.15: TTIP: MEPs in new EU-US trade controversy over courts http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32916750
Politico, 28.05.15: TTIP wins key panel vote http://www.politico.eu/article/ttip-trade-committee-resolution-vote/
EurActiv, 29.05.15: MEPs give passing vote to TTIP http://www.euractiv.com/sections/trade-society/meps-give-only-passing-vote-ttip-314959
EurActiv, 02.06.15: Green-Socialist cooperation strained over TTIP http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-priorities-2020/green-socialist-cooperation-strained-over-ttip-315017
EurActiv, 04.06.15: Parliament’s TTIP vote in limbo http://www.euractiv.com/sections/trade-society/parliaments-ttip-vote-limbo-315121
Politico, 04.06.15: MEP support falters for trade deal http://www.politico.eu/article/ttip-parliament-isds-vote/
Politico, 09.06.15: EU-U.S. trade vote comes down to the wire http://www.politico.eu/article/ttip-in-the-hands-of-the-far-right-and-putin/
Politico, 09.06.15: Parliament postpones EU-U.S. trade vote http://www.politico.eu/article/breaking-european-parliament-to-postpone-vote-on-ttip/
EUObserver, 09.06.15: MEPs snipe at one another as TTIP vote postponed https://euobserver.com/economic/129041
European Parliament: Press Release, 09.06.15: TTIP: Rapporteur Lange welcomes postponement of vote http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20150604IPR62865/
EurActiv, 10.06.15: Divided EU Parliament postpones vote on TTIP http://www.euractiv.com/sections/trade-society/divided-eu-parliament-postpones-vote-ttip-315265
European Parliament: Newsroom: Press Release, 11.06.15: EP vote and debate on TTIP recommendations postponed: what’s next? http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20150610STO65005/
EurActiv, 10.06.15: Delayed TTIP vote drives wedge between grand coalition http://www.euractiv.com/sections/trade-society/delayed-ttip-vote-drives-wedge-between-grand-coalition-315274
EUObserver, 11.06.15: Socialist plan on investor-state court backfires https://euobserver.com/economic/129060
Politico, 10.06.15: The TTIP blame game http://www.politico.eu/article/the-ttip-blame-game/
Euro|Topics: Main Focus, 11.06.15: EU Parliament puts off TTIP debate http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/archiv_dossier/DOSSIER164478-EU-Parliament-puts-off-TTIP-debate
VoteWatchEurope, 10.06.15: Fact-check: who decided the postponement of the vote and debate on TTIP ? http://www.votewatch.eu/blog/fact-check-who-decided-the-postponement-of-the-vote-and-debate-on-ttip/
openDemocracy: Our NHS, 11.06.15: MEPs' mounting TTIP opposition scandalously silenced ahead of knife-edge US vote https://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/molly-scottcato/meps%27-mounting-ttip-opposition-scandalously-silenced-ahead-of-knifeedge-us-vo
The Conversation, 12.06.15: Can the European Parliament save us from TTIP? https://theconversation.com/can-the-european-parliament-save-us-from-ttip-43195
Der Tagesspiegel, 15.06.15: TTIP opponents should not rejoice too soon (via Euro|Topics) http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/aehnliche/archiv_article/ARTICLE164591-TTIP-opponents-should-not-rejoice-too-soon
European Parliament: Newsroom: Press Release, 16.06.15: New TTIP timeline: Trade Committee to decide fate of 116 amendments on 29 June http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20150615IPR66489/

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