By Victoria Hines

Brexit, a reference to the possibility of Great Britain leaving the European Union (EU) upon a referendum, has recently been at the forefront of the news cycle.  The passage of the European Union Referendum Act of 2015, allowing for a referendum on whether the UK should remain in the EU, has ignited a debate on the desirability of continued EU membership. UK Prime Minister David Cameron conducted negotiations in Brussels last week to try to encourage European leaders to support his EU reforms before the projected June 23 referendum. These objectives, which Cameron outlined last November, included: acquiring insurance that the Eurozone countries are not able to manipulate financial regulations for non-euro nations, reducing red tape on European businesses, enhancing national parliament power by exempting Britain from an “ever closer union,” and controlling migration. This deal, which gives Britain “special status” in the EU, is now being used by Cameron to assemble support for the UK to remain in the EU.   

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March 11, 2016

By Victoria Hines

Economists are split over whether the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will bring economic gains to participating countries.  A new study from Tufts University suggests the deal would “[c]ause some job losses and exacerbate income inequality...especially in…the United States.” Meanwhile, economists from Brandeis and Johns Hopkins disagree, finding that incomes would actually increase by half a percentage point. However, not only does it appear as though economists will continue to debate the benefits associated with the TPP, but the issue has also become a heated topic in electoral politics; Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump have both spoken out against the TPP. The agreement’s future will ultimately depend on a congressional vote that is anticipated to occur after the 2016 elections.

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February 11, 2016

By Victoria Hines

The German Association of Judges (DRB) recently criticized the Investment Court System (ICS), which has been proposed to be included in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). If approved, this court system would allow investors to sue governments. The judges argue that there is “neither a legal basis nor an actual need for such a court.”  Other critics of ICS are apprehensive of whether multinationals will be able to use the system to put legal pressure on states. The European Commission disagrees, underlining that the ICS plan was “based on input from parliaments in the EU and other stakeholders,” and that it would not be able to effect member state law.  The Commission anticipates talks to be completed next summer.

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February 09, 2016

By Victoria Hines

On October 10, approximately 250,000 protestors took to the streets of Berlin to stress their opposition to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The TTIP is a free trade deal that is currently being negotiated between the U.S. and the European Union. The criticisms of this deal mirrors many complaints that have been made about the recently concluded Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal between the U.S. and Pacific Rim countries. Moreover, opponents warn that the TTIP could force public services, including the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), to privatize. European anxieties regarding trade agreements are perhaps even greater than American fears since freer trade is bound to have a more radical effect on European services and values.

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October 23, 2015

By Justin Kirschner

Between 150,000 and 250,000 turned out in Berlin to protest TTIP, the trade deal being negotiated between the U.S. and the EU.  The deal’s opponents also presented the European Commission with what they claim are 3 million signatures from people who oppose the deal. TTIP’s opponents worry that the deal will force the EU to lower its food and environmental standards in order to “harmonize” with U.S. regulations.  They say that the deal—negotiations for which are so shrouded in secrecy that Wikileaks has even offered a 100,000 euro reward for portions of the deal’s text—worsens the democratic deficit many Europeans feel is inherent in the EU’s structure. For their part, the deal’s European proponents argue that TTIP will stimulate economies on both sides of the Atlantic and set trade rules of the road based on U.S./EU values that others will adopt. European opposition to TTIP sounds a lot like the opposition many Americans are voicing against the recently completed Trans-Pacific Partnership - opposition that may yet doom that deal in Congress. So far, TTIP negotiators are plowing ahead even in the face of public resistance.

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October 19, 2015

By Nathaniel DeLucia

Thousands of Europeans marched in opposition to three proposed trade agreements which are currently being negotiated: the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the Canada-EU Trade Agreement (CETA), and the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA).  20,000 people protested in Munich alone, making it the largest protest in Germany.

The three proposed agreements are all multinational free trade agreements between various key international actors, such as the United States, the European Union, Canada, and Australia.The protestors are primarily concerned with the influence of lobbyists and corporations on the negotiations, and fear that they may be skewing the agreements to better protect the corporations rather than the everyday consumer.  As the next round of negotiations is scheduled for next week, it will be interesting to see how these protestors influence the discussions.

To check out the full story, see the article on IP-Watch.

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May 07, 2015

By Craig Tarasoff

Over the past year, the US and the European Union have been in negotiations for a trade agreement to lower tariffs, create jobs, and increase growth. Discussions of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) have stalled due to midterm elections in the US and disagreements over important issues such as the ability of companies to “sue governments to enforce terms of any trade deal.” The next round of negotiations will take place in Brussels in February. This agreement could be one of the largest in the world, but disputes over enforcement mechanisms may continue to derail progress. Read more from the New York Times.

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January 28, 2015

By Jieying Ding

The world’s two largest economic powers- the United States and the EU- are negotiating the EU-US Translantic Trade and Investment partnership. This will set a global standard of free trade and regulatory cooperation. Economic ties between the U.S. and the EU have historically been deep, but now is the right time to deepen the engagement. U.S. News pointed out that as geopolitical tensions worsen, it is important to strengthen the economic relationship between the U.S. and the EU. Of course, disagreements on major issues such as financial regulatory cooperation and partnership on energy supply pose major challenges to the negotiation.

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October 17, 2014