Beyond Economics: The Geopolitical Importance of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Abstract

With the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, Europe has a decisive opportunity to define the direction of future global trade. However, concluding the biggest agreement of its kind seems to be trying the internal unity of the Union. A wave of protests has swept across Europe as many fear the hidden costs behind regulatory cooperation with our neighbours across the Atlantic. Getting sceptics on board will require more than economic reasoning. The hidden value of the free trade agreement is its geopolitical importance and the historic opportunity it offers for the West. Sealing the deal with the US would strengthen Euro-Atlantic cooperation, counter the influence of China, diminish European dependency on Russia's energy imports and promote the Western economic model. Should the negotiations fail, mutual blame and internal frustration will isolate the EU.