Lords Committee to look at food and farming sectors as part of inquiry into EU/US trade deal
The Lords Committee investigating the ground-breaking trade deal between the EU and the US will hear from the National Farmers Union and the Food and Drink Federation on Thursday 9 January.
The issue of potential compromises needing to be made on either side of the Atlantic, for example in the areas of GMOs and goods of protected geographical origin, will be examined by the House of Lords EU Sub Committee on External Affairs.
The Committee is holding an inquiry to look at the benefits, both to the EU and the UK, of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which was launched last year.
The Committee will quiz Andrew Kuyk, Sustainability Director at the Food and Drink Federation and Phil Bicknell, Chief Economist at the National Farmers' Union.
Questions they will face include:
- How many jobs or exports might you expect to see added as the result of a TTIP deal?
- What goods of protected geographical origin are potentially the most significant economically for the UK?
- To what extent does the EU-Canada agreement set a useful precedent?
- Is the issue of GMOs likely to be the stumbling block it is perceived to be?
- Would you say that TTIP offers a way out of the hormone-free beef dispute?
- What could be the impact if there was a reduction in tariffs?
The evidence session will take place at 10.05am on Thursday 9 January in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords.
