Debate during the plenary session of July on the&nbsp;Negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Statements by Bernd LANGE (S&amp;D, DE), Rapporteur and Cecilia MALMSTR&Ouml;M, Member of the EC in charge of Trade.

debate

plenary session

LANGE, Bernd (S&D, DE)

MALMSTRÖM, Cecilia (ALDE, SE, EC)

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T)

Negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP): extracts from the opening statements

SOUNDBITE (German), Bernd LANGE (S&amp;D, DE), Rapporteur , "This is about rules and standards and therefore in order to set proper rules and standards we need openness and transparency in the negotiations, otherwise the process is not serious, hence we are calling for maximum transparency and we like to see civil society involved in the negotiations, it is not about custom duties it is about sensitive, important matters."

SOUNDBITE (German), Bernd LANGE (S&amp;D, DE), Rapporteur , "If you look at the resolution you can see very clearly that we want to make clear that principles like data protection must be enshrined in Trade agreements, our standards have to respected in dealings between businesses."

SOUNDBITE (German), Bernd LANGE (S&amp;D, DE), Rapporteur , "We therefore have to understand that it is us who decide about this trade agreement. However if you don't fight you lost before you even started, that is why we are fighting that is why we are arguing for a TTIP, for a good trade agreement."

SOUNDBITE (English), Cecilia MALMSTR&#214;M, Member of the EC in charge of Trade , "TTIP is an essential part of the COM strategy to open markets around the world. We are doing that not to benefit a small few, but in order to create opportunities the whole of Europe."

SOUNDBITE (English), Cecilia MALMSTR&#214;M, Member of the EC in charge of Trade , "It would help us to make our small and middle sized companies more competitive, there would find it easier to export and to get their imported components and raw materials more cheaply. Those are solid economic advantages; we cannot afford to turn our backs to them, now, nor in the future."

SOUNDBITE (English), Cecilia MALMSTR&#214;M, Member of the EC in charge of Trade , "We particular need an ally because we know that the strength of our voices in the world is in relative term decreasing. TTIP guarantees that partnership with America for the future. And we cannot afford to turn our back to that either."

SOUNDBITE (English), Cecilia MALMSTR&#214;M, Member of the EC in charge of Trade , "We are proposing a new system that sets down to regulate in black and white. A new system that takes us away from the private arbitration tribunals of the past, instead we want a future in which disputes are decided in an international investment court, by judges and with a right to appeal. TTIP will be a step towards that goal not the final result, it is an essential step given the role of the U.S. as a global investor. And your resolution is a vital step in those negotiations, but it is certainly not the end of our conversation, the COM will continue to be flexible to take account your views."