Abstract

This chapter provides a general introduction to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations. It examines the historical and political context of the negotiations by discussing the strategic orientation of the European Commission, outlines the areas of consent and dissent between the European Union and the USA, and highlights three areas of societal critique of TTIP: the bias of studies on employment impact, the encroachment on public services, and the investment rules protecting corporate power.