Non-Profit Releases USTR Letter on Transparency Preferences for TTIP Information
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) outlined its confidentiality procedures for Transatlantic Trade and Investment negotiations in a July 5, 2013 letter from Assistant USTR Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) for Europe and the Middle East Daniel Mullaney…
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to Ignacio Garcia Bercero, the chief EU negotiator for TTIP. The non-profit group Knowledge Ecology International released the letter on June 12, after obtaining it through a May Freedom of Information Act request to USTR, said the group (here). The letter emphasizes the need to maintain vigilance in handling the documents, and describes certain security measures. For instance, related documents are not required to be kept in safes and may be discussed over insecure lines of communication, it said. The U.S. will also keep the documents confidential for five years following the entry into force of the agreement or the unsuccessful conclusion of negotiations, said the letter. The Office of the USTR did not immediately confirm the authenticity of the document.