What the TTIP Leaks Means for the On-going Negotiations and Future Agreement? Time to Overcome TTIP's Many Informational Asymmetries
Alberto Alemanno
CSF-SSSUP Working Paper No 3/2016
One of the major merits of the TTIP leaks has been to highlight the underlying information asymmetry characterising the on-going TTIP negotiations. By systematically releasing its position papers before each negotiation, the EU actual disclosure policy contributes to a permanent yet overlooked information imbalance between the EU and its trading partner(s). The ensuing asymmetry does not only alter the overall negotiating environment, but also how the media, academics, and, in turn, the public actually perceive it. As a result, only the EU positions have been studied, criticized and closely debated, with the US negotiating positions remaining largely a mystery. After briefly presenting the how’s of the TTIP leaks, this piece examines the what’s and why’s behind this unprecedented revelation of negotiating texts.
Keywords: TTIP, US, EU, Leaks, Information asymmetry