USACM Comments on Proposed US-EU Trade Agreement

By Renee Dopplick, ACM Director of Public Policy
May 14, 2013

The ACM U.S. Public Policy Council submitted its public comment to the U.S. Trade Representative outlining three important intellectual property principles for the U.S. government to consider in the upcoming Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) trade negotiations with the European Union. The United States and the EU share the largest economic relationship in the world, according to the USTR.

The public comment urges the USTR to negotiate intellectual property provisions that uphold relevant domestic laws and international law while concurrently fostering innovation of software and digital computing, preserving the rights of users of these technologies, and minimizing barriers that could impede the economic potential of digital trade, e-commerce, and internet-based services.

As background, the United States-EU High Level Working Group on Jobs and Growth recommended the creation of a transatlantic trade and investment agreement in its final report in February 2013. That report states that both parties are committed to “maintaining and promoting a high level of intellectual protection, including enforcement, and to cooperating extensively.”

The parties will be guided by the 10 trade principles for information and communication technology services, including Internet and other network-based applications, adopted by the United States and the EU in 2011. The policy principles promote transparency, open networks and applications, the free flow of cross-border information, efficient use of spectrum, the independence of regulatory authorities, competitive telecom services, nondiscriminatory and transparent rates for interconnection, and international cooperation to reduce the “digital divide.”

 

Interested in participating in policy discussions about the forthcoming TTIP trade negotiations? Here are a few opportunities to hear from and interact with key policymakers and other stakeholders.

  • The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on the TTIP on Thursday, May 16, at 2 p.m.

  • The Washington International Trade Association will be holding a series of events featuring the key negotiators, expert trade negotiators, and stakeholders between May 15 and June 13.

  • The USTR will hold two hearings to further explore various negotiating priorities on May 29 and May 30 in Washington, D.C.