The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: A Briefing Note
Issue Brief 51
This Issue Brief is the result of a conference co-hosted by AGI, the Center for International Security and Governance (CISG), and the Bonner Akademie für Forschung und Lehre Praktischer Politik (BAPP) in Bonn in November 2015, entitled “The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: European and American Perspectives.” The possibility of a transatlantic trade agreement has long been a topic of discussion. Economic and industry experts have extolled not only the opportunity for growth, but also the strategic perspectives that such an agreement offers. Support for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) has appeared to back-slide in some participant countries, where there has been wide public opposition to a perceived weakening of consumer protection standards, kowtowing to the interests of multinational corporations, and lack of transparency in the negotiations. In public discussions, the transatlantic partners have often spoken over, rather than with, each other. Given progressing negotiations and increasing protests, it is now the time to discuss the opportunities and risks of a trade agreement with both proponents and opponents on both sides of the Atlantic.
