Lords committee investigating ground-breaking EU/US trade deal to quiz chief negotiator at European Commission
What lessons can Europe learn from the EU/South Korean trade deal?
That's the question being put tomorrow to the European Commission by the House of Lords Committee charged with investigating the EU/US trade deal.
Ignacio Garcia Bercero is the Chief Negotiator at the European Commission for the talks between the EU and the US on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
He will be questioned on Thursday 16 January by the Lords EU Sub Committee on External Affairs, which is holding an inquiry to look at the benefits of TTIP, launched last year.
The Committee will quiz Mr Bercero on his experience as chief negotiator for the EU during the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement, and ask him how it compares to TTIP.
Other questions he will face, via videoconference, include:
- In terms of economic benefit, scope and timescale, how do the EU/Korea and EU/US deals compare?
- Are there similarities in the EU Member States' attitudes to both deals?
- Could TTIP learn from the regulatory cooperation arising from the Korean agreement?
- What can be learnt from the provisions made for the agricultural and financial sectors?
- How is the EU/Korean deal now working? Do the structures for sustained cooperation offer any hope for TTIP?
The evidence session will take place at 10.05 am on Thursday 16 January in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords.
The session will be webcast at www.parliamentlive.tv and is also open to the public. Journalists wishing to attend should go to Parliament's Cromwell Green Entrance and should allow time for security screening.
