TTIP outlook: how ambitious and comprehensive?

While hoping for as much substantial progress as possible in 2015, substance should prevail over timing. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) should be comprehensive and ambitious: BusinessEurope does not support a “light TTIP”, as avoiding controversial issues will not make them disappear. On the contrary, leaving all issues on the negotiation table will give negotiators the necessary room for manoeuvre in order to address concerns effectively. Legitimate concerns must be heard, but we cannot permit fear to overwhelm us, BusinessEurope said at the conference “The Geopolitics of the TTIP”, organised by the Istituto Affari Internazionali in Rome on 26 February. A constructive discussion within the civil society will ensure significant progress in negotiations and ultimately a better transatlantic deal.

Photo © Leonardo Puccini for Istituto Affari Internazionali