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| TTIP talks are not dead |
| Bratislava, 11.07.2017 |
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| Despite positive declarations from the government, the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia is still waiting for significant, tangible results in the areas of the legislative process, corruption and efficient judiciary, said its executive director, Jake Slegers, in an interview with The Slovak Spectator.
The Slovak Spectator: One of the main advisers of US President Donald Trump called the negotiations over the TTIP agreement dead, though following the meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel there are some signs of their potential restoration. Is there, in your opinion, really a possibility that the talks may be restored during the Trump Administration’s rule?
Jake Slegers (JS): According to the latest information we have, the discussions over TTIP are definitely not dead. Following up on a meeting between representatives of the United States and the European Union in May 2017 in Brussels, the negotiators agreed to set up a bilateral working group to elaborate on discussions already made to deepen the strong economic relationship. I personally think that the only missing part to eventually finalising the agreement is the political will on both sides. Currently, the US administration is focusing a bit more on domestic issues. In addition, the EU member states lack a certain unity on this issue as well. Perhaps the administration is hoping for a bit more certainty on this side in order to continue.
TSS: PM Robert Fico and some of his cabinet members met with the representatives of the Rule of Law Initiative in early April. What are the tangible results achieved by the initiative so far? How do you assess the promises of the government regarding the goals of the Rule of Law Initiative and their fulfilment?
JS: As a result of the Rule of Law Initiative, in 2015 the Slovak government adopted an Action Plan on Strengthening the Rule of Law in Slovakia in 2015. One of the commitments is to meet with representatives of the initiative on an annual basis and review any progress that has been achieved. This was also the reason for the recent meeting with Prime Minister Robert Fico.
The action plan is one of the most important achievements as it outlined specific goals for the Slovak government in the three main areas: transparency and predictability of the legislative process, fighting against corruption, and predictable and efficient judiciary.
We definitely welcome initiatives such as the new law on the lawmaking process, which introduced more predictability into the legislative process. Some of the changes in the procedures introduced in civil and commercial law should also bring more predictability and decrease lengthy court proceedings. However, these are long-term changes, and since they only became effective in July 2016, the business community is still waiting to see the real impact.
Naturally, AmCham, as well as its partners, welcomed the fact that the Slovak government incorporated the Rule of Law Initiative and its principles into the official government programme for 2016-2020. However, despite positive declarations from the governmental side, AmCham and its partners continue to emphasise the need for more visible progress in all three areas. Further improvements need to be seen in areas such as the parliamentary legislative process and last-minute legislative amendments, as well as more transparency and focus on expertise in the selection of heads of independent regulatory and supervisory institutions.
In addition, we also underline the need for integrity of public officials, as they should serve as role models in strengthening the rule of law in Slovakia.
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Address : Euro-Brew Ltd., Hlboká 22, 917 01 Trnava, Slovakia
Tel. : +421 33 53 418 53, Fax : +421 33 53 418 52, E-mail : info@eurobrew.sk |
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