Trade negotiations and the EU’s strategic interests

This week the EU and US hold a second round of trade negotiations.

The military and economic power of states depend on their key industries. Both the EU and US want to strengthen their industries, they carefully listen to them.

But a corporate agenda is not the same as a strategic interests agenda. For instance, trading away our policy space, access to medicines, our ability to fight climate change, or transferring sovereignty to corporations does not serve the EU’s strategic interests.

The EU Commission makes a mistake. It negotiates in secret. This may make negotiations more simple, but as multinationals are much better informed and listened to than civil society and citizens, there is a serious risk the end result will be unbalanced and will harm the EU’s strategic interests.

Openness and citizens’ participation would serve the EU’s strategic interests and human values. Secrecy weakens the EU.

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