Local and regional authorities are going to be directly concerned by the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), Christian Buchmann, Minister for Economy, Europe and Culture in Styria, underlined during a debate with Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade, at the first CoR Plenary Session of its new term on 12 February. Whilst underlining its potential to create jobs and strengthen the growth of companies in European cities and regions, the Austrian Minister stressed that there are many misconceptions and called for a better communication strategy for TTIP:
"TTIP has a huge potential for creating jobs and increasing GDP. But we need a communication strategy that increases the awareness of these benefits. As the political representatives closest to European citizens, we would like to be involved in this strategy" Buchmann said.
Speaking about his own region of Styria, Minister Buchmann cited the automotive industry as an area where cooperation would save manufacturers billions of euros and improve competitiveness. He also noted that the TTIP negotiations offer the best opportunity to create new standards and specifically referred to the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS).
Commissioner Malmström welcomed Minister Buchmann's intervention and explained "What you say here in Brussels is based on a deep understanding of people in your region. And when you speak about European policy at home you can connect our work to their lives like no other part of the EU system. That’s why your role in the public discussion about this negotiation is so important."