U.S. tech companies hoping for unfettered access to the E.U.’s market
under a major new trade deal got the bureaucratic equivalent of the ice
bucket challenge Thursday.
A draft document obtained by the website Euractiv sketching out how the top jobs in the new European Commission will be handed out suggested that Germany’s Guenter Oettinger will take responsibility for the E.U. side of the negotiations for the next five years.
Oettinger is a long-time political ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, and analysts say his appointment would ensure Europe will take a tough line on the new ‘Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership’.
TTIP, hailed by its advocates as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to break down remaining trade barriers between the U.S. and E.U., has run into a storm of protest in Germany–traditionally one of the biggest advocates of free trade–over concerns that it will allow big companies too many rights to sue governments.
In addition, the ongoing tensions over U.S. spying on its biggest European ally has made German public opinion wary of giving free rein to the–mostly U.S.-based–companies that dominate the internet and the world of big data.
“Merkel is concerned that the political environment around TTIP has become completely toxic,” says Pavel Swidlicki, an analyst with the think-tank Open Europe in London. “This is a smart move.”
Note EU-Digest: the EU interests are in good hands with Mrs Merkel and Germany.
Read more: Germany to take control of EU/US trade deal, leak suggests
A draft document obtained by the website Euractiv sketching out how the top jobs in the new European Commission will be handed out suggested that Germany’s Guenter Oettinger will take responsibility for the E.U. side of the negotiations for the next five years.
Oettinger is a long-time political ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, and analysts say his appointment would ensure Europe will take a tough line on the new ‘Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership’.
TTIP, hailed by its advocates as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to break down remaining trade barriers between the U.S. and E.U., has run into a storm of protest in Germany–traditionally one of the biggest advocates of free trade–over concerns that it will allow big companies too many rights to sue governments.
In addition, the ongoing tensions over U.S. spying on its biggest European ally has made German public opinion wary of giving free rein to the–mostly U.S.-based–companies that dominate the internet and the world of big data.
“Merkel is concerned that the political environment around TTIP has become completely toxic,” says Pavel Swidlicki, an analyst with the think-tank Open Europe in London. “This is a smart move.”
Note EU-Digest: the EU interests are in good hands with Mrs Merkel and Germany.
Read more: Germany to take control of EU/US trade deal, leak suggests
