TTIP: MEPs pave way for plenary vote by retabling June amendments

International Trade Committee MEPs on Monday (29 June) paved the way for a plenary vote on the European Parliament’s draft recommendations for Transatlantic Trade and investment partnership (TTIP) negotiators, by retabling the June plenary amendments which had been referred back for reconsideration. The committee took the decision in two separate votes –one to retable the plenary amendments, and the other to retable requests for split or separate votes.

"Today's vote was a necessary step we had to take in committee to prepare the TTIP-resolution to be put forward to vote in a future plenary session", said Trade Committee Chair and rapporteur Berndt Lange after the vote.

The vote was taken by show of hands, as a support of five Committee members was all that was needed to send the amendments and requests back to the plenary.

In the run-up to a plenary vote, negotiations between political groups are seeking common ground on the divisive issues that arose in the TTIP talks, and in particular whether a TTIP deal should provide for the use of private arbitration to solve disputes between investors and states.

Next steps

The European Parliament Conference of Presidents (EP President and EP political groups' leaders) which sets the European Parliament plenary agenda now has to decide when the Parliament should debate and vote on the TTIP report and amendments.