Commission publishes EU proposal on sustainable development in TTIP and the first detailed report on the latest negotiating round

The European Commission published today its proposal for a chapter on trade and sustainable development, including labour and the environment, in the ongoing Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). This approach follows the new EU trade strategy, ‘Trade for all‘, which aims at more responsible trade policies both at home and globally. Presenting the new proposal, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said: “Trade is not only a tool to create new economic opportunities for consumers, workers and employers, but also a tool to help the world become a more responsible place. Trade is not just about our economic interests, but also about values. I made it my clear priority in the new ‘Trade for All’ strategy and I want to put it into practice in our agreement with the US. That’s why we are proposing a very ambitious approach to sustainable development in the EU-US trade talks, which will be respected, implemented and enforced when we sign up to them. Working together with the US would make us more efficient in fighting globally for more responsible practices. At the same time we would ensure that our existing high, yet sometimes different, standards in the EU and the US are upheld.” Moreover, in its ongoing effort to make negotiations on TTIP more transparent, the European Commission also published today the first detailed report on the latest negotiating round, which took place in Miami from 19-23 October 2015. A full press release in all languages is available online. The presentation of these documents by EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström is available on EbS here. Her blog post on the same subject will be online here at 12:30