EU and US consumers say YES to collaboration and exchange of best practices, NO to obligations with negative impacts on consumer protection

Today, TACD publishes a new policy resolution on Technical barriers to Trade (TBTs) in the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The resolution highlights differences between the US and EU technical regulations, conformity assessment and standards-making systems and makes recommendations to the EU and US negotiators on how the two approaches could be reconciled to bring about more future cooperation, without lowering vital consumer protection levels.

Increasing the sharing of information on standardisation, conformity assessment and technical regulations is desirable. However, TACD strongly recommends that there be no mechanisms in TTIP for the mutual recognition and recognition of equivalence of technical regulations and standards.  We have no confidence that such mechanisms would not reduce, undermine or compromise the levels of consumer protection in place on one or both sides of the Atlantic.

Please click here to read the full TACD resolution on Technical Barriers to Trade in the TTIP.