On Saturday, a number of demonstrations were held across Europe to protest against TTIP and other trade agreements (notably the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement [CETA], the Trans-Pacific Partnership [TPP] and the Trade in Services Agreement [TiSA]). Next week, EU and US officials will return to the negotiating table in Miami for the 11th […]
Honest debate needed on TTIP – not simplistic slogans
European Commissioners calling the adoption of the TTIP trade agreement a ‘no-brainer’ is not conducive to the honest debate on the EU-US free trade agreement that is needed, argue Ferdi De Ville and Gabriel Siles-Brügge. European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and European Financial Services Commissioner Jonathan Hill have written that concluding the Transatlantic Trade and […]
‘Lies’ : Elections, outbursts and EU-US free trade talks
The European elections have coincided with the latest round of talks on the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Dr Gabriel Siles-Brügge and Dr Ferdi De Ville argue that election campaigns have continued to put advocates of the deal on the defensive, but it has not prompted any fundamental shift in their position. ‘We observe […]
As the smokescreen clears, time for more honesty on EU-US trade pact
Although negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the EU and the US were launched with bombastic rhetoric, the last couple of weeks have seen confidence wane, write Ferdi De Ville and Gabriel Siles-Brügge. They argue that negotiations will take longer and the economic benefits of a deal will be far smaller […]
The false promise of EU-US trade talks
On Monday the latest round of talks on the EU-US free trade agreement get underway. Gabriel Siles-Brügge and Ferdi De Ville challenge the proclaimed benefits of this much-vaunted deal. Rather than represent ‘the cheapest stimulus package you can imagine’, they argue the deal is a distraction that is unlikely to significantly boost growth. ‘This is […]