The European Commission is trying hard to be as transparent as possible with the TTIP negotiations. On 24 November, the EC issued a Communication by Trade Commissioner Malmstroem on measures to achieve improved transparency in TTIP matters. These included easier access to TTIP documents for MEPs and publishing ever more negotiation documents. Last week, Ms Malmstroem was quizzed by the MEPs on the matter. The Commissioner stated that the Commission has already begun declassifying some negotiation documents and will continue to do so. The results of the public consultation on the much-debated investor-state dispute settlement will also be published, she promised, by the end of the year. An agreement by the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament is to be reached in January on the EU´s approach concerning this mechanism, so that negotiators can present the EU´s proposal in the spring round of negotiations. Improved transparency should show more accurately to EU citizens the potential benefits of the TTIP and boost civil society participation in the process. The MEPs asked the Commissioner to be as transparent as possible also regarding other trade talks, notably Japan and Singapore.

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