Bulletin 3/2013: November

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All-Party Parliamentary Group on EU-US Trade & Investment

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations

EU and US trade negotiators have been meeting regularly since July 8th 2013, and are expected to hold a second formal round of negotiations under the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in the week of 11th-15th November.  The planned round in October was cancelled due to the US government shut down.

A third round of negotiations is to be held the week of December 16th in Washington, D.C..  EU Trade Commissioner Karel DeGucht and US Trade Representative Michael Froman will meet to take stock of progress in January 2014, and at that time a common understanding of the ambition for the negotiations should become clearer.

APPG Parliamentary open meetings

The APPG will host an open meeting with Canada’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, HE Mr Gordon Campbell, on Tuesday, December 3rd at 10.00 – 11.00 AM in Committee Room 7 in Westminster Palace, to discuss the lessons for TTIP from the newly completed EU-Canada agreement, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

The APPG will host a Panel Discussion on TTIP with Director-General John Cridland from CBI, General Secretary Frances O’Grady from the TUC and Chief Executive Peter Vicary-Smith of Which? on Wednesday, January 8th from 5.00-6.00 PM in Committee Room 15 in the Palace of Westminster.

APPG visits

The APPG is planning a visit to Brussels in the first quarter of 2014 to meet with European Parliamentarians, stakeholders and officials.

APPG Parliamentary briefing meetings

The APPG organises a series of smaller private briefing meetings, potentially open to Group members who wish to attend – if you’d like to be informed or invited, please email john.healey.mp@parliament.uk or guto.bebb.mp@parliament.uk

APPG officers met privately with Deputy USTR, Ambassador Miriam Sapiro, on Tuesday the 29th of October and discussed progress in the negotiations and US assessments of the challenges going forward.

APPG Officers also met privately with the EU Chief Negotiator for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations, Director Ignacio Garcia Bercero on the 30th of October and discussed the EU perspective on progress and potential challenges in the negotiations.

Events and activities

APPG Secretary, Guto Bebb MP, will participate in the BAPG Foreign Office sponsored specialist delegation to the US to help build momentum and mobilise support for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership in early November.

The British American Parliamentary Group, in partnership with the Ditchley Foundation, hosted a panel discussion on October 30th in the Speaker’s House with The Hon Matthew W. Barzun US Ambassador to the UK, the EU Commission TTIP lead negotiator, Mr Ignacio Garcia Bercero,  The Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary, and Mr Martin Donnely, Permanent Secretary for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. http://www.ditchley.co.uk/conferences/past-programme/2010-2019/2013.

British American Business activities

BritishAmericanBusiness will hold its Autumn Conference on the 12th of November at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in London.  Among the speakers will be the EU Ambassador to the US, HE Mr Joao Vale de Almeida, as well as the APPG chair Rt Hon John Healey MP. MPs and their staff will be welcome to attend the conference with a complimentary place.  Email Abigail Ross Jackson ARossJackson@babinc.org and quote BAB-APPG.

British AmericanBusiness has launched a nation-wide series of road shows on TTIIP to reach out to SMEs and beyond the traditional policy community in London.  Expert panels of speakers introduce discussions on the benefits and effects of a proposed deal. Panelists include business leaders, UKTI Advisors and APPG officers. Road-shows will be held in:

Manchester – November 28th

Reading – December 3rd

Newcastle – December 4th

For further information see: http://www.tradeinvest.babinc.org

APPG bulletins

The APPG produces a regular bulletin as an update on the APPG’s activities and as a source for relevant useful briefings, reports and events.

1st Bulletin

2nd Bulletin

Useful websites

EU Commission website: http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/ttip/

USTR Website: http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/fact-sheets/2013/june/wh-ttip

UKTI Website:  http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/item/516460.html

APPG on EU-US Trade & Investment  – Previous activities

  • October 30th 2013 – Officers met with EU Chief Negotiator, Director Ignacio Garcia Bercero
  • October 29th 2013 – Officers met Deputy US Trade Representative, Ambassador Miriam Sapiro
  • September 3, 2013 – Internal discussion of Group’s work program. Secretariat established.
  • July 18th Commons debate led by the Group on EU-US transatlantic trade and investment, secured via Backbench Business Committee
  • July 8, 2013 Meeting with Rt Hon Ken Clarke, MP, supported by trade minister Lord Green and senior BIS/Cabinet Office civil servants
  • May 21, 2013  group launch and Annual General Meeting. For terms of reference and founding membership see:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/register.pdf

For further information, please contact:  

 

John Healey MP, Chair of APPG on EU-US Trade & Investment

Contact James Hall

james.hall@parliament.uk

Guto Bebb MP, Secretary of APPG on EU-US Trade & Investment

Contact Siwan Puw

siwan.puw@parliament.uk

Elisabeth Roderburg, Secretariat of APPG on EU-US Trade & Investment

TTIP Adviser BritishAmericanBusiness

Eroderburg@babinc.org

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