The Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership offers an opportunity for the European Union (EU) to improve the innovativeness of its economy. The EU is a political and economic union of twenty-eight European nations with a collective GDP of 16.5 trillion USD and a population exceeding half a billion. Yet, despite high standards of living, education, and technological access, innovation in the EU trails far behind that of the United States (US). The Global Innovation Index ranks the US the fifth most...

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Even though President Barack Obama cautioned that the UK would be at the ‘back of the queue’ for a trade agreement with the US if the country chose to leave the EU, in the post-Brexit world a deal might be struck more swiftly. Various ideas for bringing the UK and US into a formal trade arrangement have been floated – ranging from a bilateral UK-US trade deal, or the UK joining NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement between...

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A detailed report of the 14th round of TTIP talks is now available. It sets out progress achieved, chapter by chapter. The 14th negotiating Round took place in Brussels from 11-15 July 2016. For logistical reasons, the talks on services and investment stretched into the following week. This Round saw a record number of textual exchanges, which means there are proposals for almost all chapters on the table now, totalling about 30. As in previous rounds, close to 400 stakeholders...

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There are concerns that the UK’s decision to leave the EU may jeopardise future TTIP negotiations. Some fear Brexit could make the EU a less attractive trade partner for the US. However, it seems that the new US administration as well as upcoming elections in Germany and France could end up posing bigger threats to the trade agreement than Brexit. 23 June  2016 was a sad day in the history of the European Union. Nearly 52% of the British citizens who...

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The EU has become deeply integrated into global markets. The openness of our trade regime has meant that the EU is the biggest player on the global trading scene and remains a good region to do business with. Overview Top trading partners Countries and regions statistics View this Table for illustration. Trade flows (€bn)Year-on-year growth (%)EU28 merchandise trade with Extra-EU28ImportsExportsBalance% Imports growth% Exports growthJun14-May15Jul14-Jun15Aug14-Jul15Sep14-Aug15Oct14-Sep15Nov14-Oct15Dec14-Nov15Jan15-Dec15Feb15-Jan16Mar15-Feb16Apr15-Mar16May16 -Apr16Jun15 -May16-500 €bn0 €bn500 €bn1000 €bn1500 €bn2000 €bn-5 %0 %5 %10 %15 %20 % EU28 merchandise trade with Extra-EU28 More on Statistics Trade flows in goods between...

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The United States and the European Union (EU) share the largest trade and investment relationship in the world, with more than $5.5 trillion in commerce every year and up to fifteen million jobs generated on both sides of the Atlantic. Currently under negotiations, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will bolster this key partnership, increasing efficiency, spurring job creation, and generating opportunities for innovation and small and medium enterprises. At a time of slow recovery from the 2009...

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EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström is hosting a conference on ‘EU Trade Agreements in Practice – Making Trade Work for You’. The event will bring together a broad spectrum of high-level speakers. Stakeholders from business, the European Parliament, trade unions and civil society will have the opportunity to have an exchange of ideas on EU trade and investment policy and what it means for growth and jobs. Trade policy is increasingly at the centre of public debate. To name...

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The European Commission is today publishing a record number of EU proposals from the ongoing 14th round of talks for a trade agreement with the United States, taking place in Brussels this week. As part of its drive for a more transparent trade and investment policy, the Commission is making these proposals public only days after submitting them to our negotiating partners. The nine proposals published today are intended to simplify technical regulations without lowering standards, and to set global rules...

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"If we are going to succeed in completing TTIP this year, we need political will on both sides to maintain our current intensified engagement and bring a pragmatic, problem-solving approach to resolving the remaining issues."   In his remarks to Amcham Dublin, US Ambassador to the European Union Anthony L. Gardner stated that productive TTIP negotiating rounds and intersessional meetings have generated proposed text in the vast majority of the negotiating areas. He laid out the "admittedly ambitious" goal of reaching...

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The International Trade Administration (ITA) released a new report today that finds 92 percent of U.S. goods exports in 2015—more than $1.3 trillion—were potentially affected by foreign technical regulations that could have a significant trade impact. "This report demonstrates the pervasiveness of technical regulations and their potential to affect U.S. exports," said Acting U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Ken Hyatt. "Regulations and testing and certification procedures that diverge from international standards—especially in ways that are unnecessarily trade-restrictive—can...

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