Overview
In today’s MLex, Steptoe Senior Counselor and former EU Ambassador to the United States David O'Sullivan provided some thoughts on how to make progress on U.S.-EU agricultural issues to repair the bilateral trade relationship.
Ditch food-safety hangups to get trade deal with Biden, former EU ambassador to US says 19 Nov 20 | 17:45 GMT Author: Joanna Sopinska In Brief The EU should be ready to offer some concessions on agriculture to US President-elect Joe Biden to de-escalate trade tensions and rebuild the trans-Atlantic relationship, a former EU ambassador to the US has said. This would require EU countries to put aside “all the old” disagreements on “chlorinated chicken, hormone beef and GMOs” and look instead for “things where there could be a bit of movement on both sides,” David O’Sullivan said. The EU should be ready to offer some concessions on agriculture to US President-elect Joe Biden to de-escalate trade tensions and rebuild the trans-Atlantic relationship, a former EU ambassador to the US has said. This would require EU countries to put aside “all the old” disagreements on “chlorinated chicken, hormone beef and GMOs” and look instead for “things where there could be a bit of movement on both sides,” David O’Sullivan told an online event* yesterday. After four years of President Donald Trump’s hardline and unpredictable trade stance, the EU is looking to reset the trans-Atlantic relationship after Biden takes office in January and chart a more cooperative course with Washington. But the EU’s longstanding red lines on food safety, which the US says aren’t justified, are likely to stand in the way of this goal, O’Sullivan warned: “There is no point in going to Washington to discuss a package of measures to de-escalate the trade tensions if there isn’t something on agriculture.” The EU has resisted US demands to put agriculture on the table, in large part due to resistance from a strong farm lobby in France, Ireland and other countries. “We in Europe have to be willing to take some pain to rebuild this relationship,” O’Sullivan said. “If we are not, there is a risk that ok, we won’t have a massive confrontation as with President Trump, but President Biden might just say … ‘call me when you are ready to discuss this again.’ ” He also said that ambitious trade talks known as TTIP, begun under the Obama administration, wouldn’t necessarily restart after Biden takes office. The talks were put on ice when Trump took office in 2017. “I’m not suggesting a new TTIP, I’m not suggesting massive liberalization of agricultural trade — it’s not realistic,” O’Sullivan said. “But we need to find the things where there could be a bit of movement on both sides and we can get a balanced package where Biden can turn to his farmers to say: ‘You see I have a more reasonable and flexible approach with the EU and look I’ve got you more.’ ” View on MLex site »
Ditch food-safety hangups to get trade deal with Biden, former EU ambassador to US says 19 Nov 20 | 17:45 GMT Author: Joanna Sopinska In Brief The EU should be ready to offer some concessions on agriculture to US President-elect Joe Biden to de-escalate trade tensions and rebuild the trans-Atlantic relationship, a former EU ambassador to the US has said. This would require EU countries to put aside “all the old” disagreements on “chlorinated chicken, hormone beef and GMOs” and look instead for “things where there could be a bit of movement on both sides,” David O’Sullivan said. The EU should be ready to offer some concessions on agriculture to US President-elect Joe Biden to de-escalate trade tensions and rebuild the trans-Atlantic relationship, a former EU ambassador to the US has said. This would require EU countries to put aside “all the old” disagreements on “chlorinated chicken, hormone beef and GMOs” and look instead for “things where there could be a bit of movement on both sides,” David O’Sullivan told an online event* yesterday. After four years of President Donald Trump’s hardline and unpredictable trade stance, the EU is looking to reset the trans-Atlantic relationship after Biden takes office in January and chart a more cooperative course with Washington. But the EU’s longstanding red lines on food safety, which the US says aren’t justified, are likely to stand in the way of this goal, O’Sullivan warned: “There is no point in going to Washington to discuss a package of measures to de-escalate the trade tensions if there isn’t something on agriculture.” The EU has resisted US demands to put agriculture on the table, in large part due to resistance from a strong farm lobby in France, Ireland and other countries. “We in Europe have to be willing to take some pain to rebuild this relationship,” O’Sullivan said. “If we are not, there is a risk that ok, we won’t have a massive confrontation as with President Trump, but President Biden might just say … ‘call me when you are ready to discuss this again.’ ” He also said that ambitious trade talks known as TTIP, begun under the Obama administration, wouldn’t necessarily restart after Biden takes office. The talks were put on ice when Trump took office in 2017. “I’m not suggesting a new TTIP, I’m not suggesting massive liberalization of agricultural trade — it’s not realistic,” O’Sullivan said. “But we need to find the things where there could be a bit of movement on both sides and we can get a balanced package where Biden can turn to his farmers to say: ‘You see I have a more reasonable and flexible approach with the EU and look I’ve got you more.’ ” View on MLex site »
