"Yes to a TTIP which opens perspectives, yes to a TTIP that creates jobs and yes to a TTIP which meets our standards" declared Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel today during his opening speech at a conference dedicated to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

The conference, entitled 'TTIP - What's in it for the Social Partners?' brought together the social partners of every Member State to address the issues relating to the TTIP, as well as conduct an exchange of views and concerns thereof.

Prime Minister Bettel delivered the opening speech, outlining the European position on the TTIP as the following: "We do not want a TTIP at all costs, we want a comprehensive and qualitative agreement which, it should be emphasised, is not intended to question our European models" before continuing that "a TTIP with imposed rules which sell off our values which we fought for" was to be avoided.

Negotiations for the TTIP, which have been underway since February 2015, aim to promote multilateral economic growth between the EU and the US but could instead act as a gateway for lax food and environmental legislation and big business domination.

Luxembourg Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, who participated in the high-level roundtable on TTIP, stated that this would not be the case. The Minister felt that the TTIP "will not change the norms and internal standards of the EU", before emphasising that "transparency can and must be improved" and that "the Presidency is advocating tirelessly for maximum transparency."

Transparency has been an issue for TTIP talks so far, with negotiations having been largely conducted in a covert manner. Many have rallied against the ongoing process, including Fairtrade Lëtzebuerg which claimed that the free trade agreement could threaten the progress of the fairtrade movement in Africa, Latin America and Asia; whilst others including H.E. Ambassador Jean-Louis Wolzfeld of Luxembourg to the US have cited the Partnership as a source of strength for the global presence of the EU and a portal to prosperity and jobs in Europe and America.

 

Photo by MAEE (L-R: L-R: Luxembourg Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn; President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz; President of the Economic and Social Committee, George Dassis; Luxembourg Prime Minister, Minister of State, Xavier Bettel; European Commissioner in charge of Trade, Cecilia Malmström)