7 November 2013 Issues paper Communicating on TTIP Areas for cooperation between the Commission services an !

!ember "tates #n 22 November 2013 in $russe%s& the Commission is organising an informa% meeting with !ember "tates representatives to iscuss issues re%ate to communication on the Transat%antic Tra e an Investment Partnership' The meeting is inten e to e(p%ore possibi%ities for greater cooperation an coor ination of respective communication activities aroun TTIP' The present paper provi es a itiona% bac)groun for this iscussion' It high%ights a number of )e* issues to be iscusse at the meeting' I' Conte(t "trong po%itica% communication wi%% be essentia% to the success of the Transat%antic Tra e an Investment Partnership +TTIP,& both in terms of achieving -. negotiating ob/ectives an of ma)ing sure that the agreement is eventua%%* ratifie ' "o far& the negotiations have e(perience an unprece ente %eve% of pub%ic an me ia interest' No other negotiation has been sub/ect to a simi%ar %eve% of pub%ic scrutin*' Communicating on TTIP an engaging with sta)eho% ers is therefore crucia% when ta)ing the negotiations forwar ' There are three main communication cha%%enges0 1' !a)ing sure that the broa pub%ic in each of the -. !ember "tates has a genera% un erstan ing of what TTIP is +i'e' an initiative that aims at e%ivering growth an /obs, an what it is not +i'e' an effort to un ermine regu%ation an e(isting %eve%s of protection in areas %i)e hea%th& safet* an the environment,' 2' !anaging re%ations with thir countries& as the agreement wi%% affect a%so our other tra ing partners& in particu%ar the mu%ti%atera% %eve%& our neighbourhoo an ma/or partners %i)e China' 3' "upporting our negotiating ob/ectives vis121vis the ." negotiators& in particu%ar in areas not fa%%ing un er the irect responsibi%it* of ."T3' This ma* be the case with fe era% regu%ator* agencies an state1%eve% authorities where there wi%% be a nee for the -. to he%p persua e these ecision ma)ers to a%so engage' In or er to be successfu% in these areas& the Commission services an the !ember "tates wi%% nee to wor) c%ose%* together an to co%%ective%* manage an coor inate our communication an outreach strategies' The Commission& on its si e& has put in p%ace a e icate TTIP communications operation& an approach that has a%rea * e%ivere resu%ts' 4owever& the negotiations are /ust beginning an consi erab%e cha%%enges %ie ahea ' The communications effort is %e b* a 4ea of Communications in 56 Tra e with support of other Commission services& name%* 56 Communications an the "po)espersons "ervice' It is coor inate across the Commission& with Commission representatives in !ember "tates an & through the --A"& with -. 5e%egations' II' The current approach The overa%% approach is ho%istic& uniting me ia re%ations& outreach an management of sta)eho% ers& socia% me ia an transparenc*' The approach wi%% nee to further %oca%ise our communication effort at !ember "tate %eve% in a ra ica%%* ifferent wa* to what has been one for past tra e initiatives& in a ition to ep%o*ing efforts in $russe%s& in the ." an aroun the wor% & provi ing c%ear& factua% an convincing arguments on a%% aspects of the negotiations' The aim is to efine& at this ear%* stage in the negotiations& the terms of the ebate b* communicating positive%* about what the TTIP is about +i'e' economic gains an g%oba% %ea ership on tra e issues,& rather than being rawn reactive%* into efensive communication about what TTIP is not about +e'g' not about negotiating ata privac*& not about %owering -. regu%ator* stan ar s etc',' 7or the approach to be successfu% it nee s to be both proactive an 8uic)%* reactive& invo%ving monitoring of pub%ic ebate& pro ucing targete communications materia% an ep%o*ing that materia% through a%% channe%s inc%u ing on%ine an socia% me ia' "o far& this has a%%owe us to0 9 pro uce an isseminate communication materia%s on the narrative of the negotiations as a who%e& as we%%

as more focuse materia% on specific issues0 e'g the strategic& thir countr* impact& the regu%ator* cooperation:convergence e%ement& a etai%e efence of the economic ana%*sis behin the TTIP an a etai%e rebutta% ocument on wh* the agreement is not ACTA' ma)e c%ear that transparenc* wi%% be a )e* part of the -. approach to the negotiations b* pub%ishing the -.;s initia% position papers on )e* aspects of the negotiations& ho% ing ear%* sta)eho% er engagement meetings& committing to c%oser than usua% consu%tation with the -uropean Par%iament& communicating irect%* with members of the pub%ic through a e icate TTIP Twitter account with a consi erab%e message1mu%tip%*ing effect' 9 )eep a han %e on the mainstream me ia narrative on the negotiations& where there is broa support for the %ogic an inten e substance of the agreement' 9 achieve traction in nationa% me ia& at %east in some !ember "tates& 9 reach out to inf%uentia% thir parties to secure their pub%ic support for the negotiations' <ith the substance of the TTIP negotiations sti%% to come& an an intensive ratification ebate to fo%%ow& there is much more wor) to be one but the s*stems an approach we have now put in p%ace provi e a firm basis for future action' This nee s support from an coor ination with the !ember "tates' III' =e* issues to watch 1' An(iet* aroun the potentia% impact on the -uropean socia% mo e% an approach to regu%ation0 <e nee proactive& ear%* an wi esprea communication on the rea%it* of what is un er iscussion in sensitive areas an on the -.;s strong recor in internationa% negotiations' <hi%e sti%% respecting the confi entia%it* re8uire for the negotiations to succee & the process a%so nee s to be transparent enough to re uce fears an avoi a mushrooming of oubts before the ea% is even conc%u e ' This messaging nee s to be accompanie b* c%ear communication about the benefits of the TTIP' 2' Cha%%enges arising from the institutiona% characteristics of the -.0 The huge interest in the process means that there wi%% be man* moments of intense pub%ic pressure aroun the negotiations' At such moments& an in ee throughout the process& it is vita% that the -. spea)s as much as possib%e with one voice' The e%ection campaign for the -uropean Par%iament wi%% be an important factor in this conte(t' It seems c%ear that given the sa%ience of the negotiation po%itica% groups in severa% !ember "tates wi%% position themse%ves aroun ifferent aspects of the negotiations' 3' The strategic imension of TTIP +impact on thir countries an mu%ti%atera%,0 <e nee to provi e a c%ear& reasonab%e efinition of the rea% strategic potentia% of TTIP' This is obvious%* more than /ust another 7TA& if on%* because its sca%e' It>s bigger& broa er an potentia%%* eeper' As a resu%t it wi%% a%%ow the -. an the ." to show %ea ership on wor% tra e& setting g%oba% prece ents +e'g' in regu%ator* areas, that can he%p form the basis for future g%oba% tra e negotiations in new areas' "ing%e transat%antic ru%es& where possib%e& a%so offer benefits to thir countries& whose e(porters wi%% fin comp%iance %ess bur ensome' ?' !a)ing c%ear that this is a negotiation between e8ua%s0 !an* of the fears about what TTIP ma* represent are %in)e to a perception that the -. is not in a sufficient%* strong position to engage with the .nite "tates' "ome of this a%so stems from the fact that the -. is current%* in a wea)er economic position than the ." an that therefore we nee TTIP more than the* o' <e nee to ma)e c%ear that this is not the case& that espite the crisis the -. remains the wor% ;s %argest mar)et an is as such an in ispensab%e partner for an* tra ing econom* +i'e' both si es have ma/or economic interests in these negotiations,' <e must a%so ma)e c%ear that we have as strong a trac) recor as the ." in tra e an other negotiations& inc%u ing with the ." itse%f' @' Transparenc* A sta)eho% er communication0 6iven the brea th of the issues un er iscussion& which cover much broa er e%ements of po%ic*1ma)ing than tra itiona% tra e agreements& e(pectations of transparenc* from sta)eho% ers are higher than in previous tra e negotiations' The comp%e(it* of the potentia% ea% a%so means that negotiators have a greater nee for sta)eho% er input uring the process to ma)e sure that propose so%utions to ifficu%t issues are effective' At the same time negotiations eman a egree of confi entia%it* if the* are to succee ' IB' Possib%e 8uestions

<hat are the )e* communication cha%%enges for TTIP in respective !ember "tatesC <hat activities are current%* un erta)en at !ember "tate %eve% to communicate about TTIPC <ho are the main sta)eho% ers to be a resse C 5o we have a e8uate too%sC In which areas cou% Commission services an !ember "tates wor) c%oser togetherCD