Q&A :: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)

In March 2014, it was leaked that the European Union and the United States were negotiating a bi-lateral trade agreement. A year later, the European Commission released parts of an overview. The proposed content included discussion on three areas: market access, specific regulation and broader rules and principles and modes of co-operation.

No proposed papers have been published on the side of the United States yet they have issued a public statement addressing the TTIP objectives and foreseeable benefits.

The proposed agreement has gained criticism from a wide variety of groups but specifically European. Naysayers to the agreement argue the European Union has too many unbalanced economies to be on one playing field.

“The general principle isn’t that bad but if you look how different are many economies, mostly 30 countries that would be involved in the partnership the situation gets complicated,” said Jakub Dymek of the Political Critique, publishers of a left wing periodical targeting intellectuals.

Poland is one of these weaker countries. Dymek believes the agreement may contribute to unfair investment and tax exemptions in the country.

It has been stated that if the agreement is to be made, it is not expected to be finalized before 2017.

Political Critique is an Eastern European liberal network of institutions and activists based in Warsaw, Poland. It consists of an online daily “Dziennik Opinii”, a quarterly magazine, publishing house and a research centre.