Currently, the 8th round of negotiations between the EU and the US on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is taking place in Brussels. Still, TTIP is subject of a great controversy between governments and consumer groups and other civil society actors.
In a conference organized today by the Protestant Academy Loccum, ConPolicy-Director Prof Dr Christian Thorun evaluates the political discourse about the negotiations from a consumer perspective. He argues that TTIP does bear the potential to increase consumer interests in some areas. Yet, it is crucial for the negotiators to understand that consumer welfare is not only defined by economic parameters but also by consumer needs for safety, information, education and sustainable consumption.
The presentation (German version) can be found here.