Discussion of the Transatlantic Free Trade Zone agreement in the US- German relations (1994-2014)

A survey conducted by the German Marshall Fund in 2007 revealed that 64% of Americans and 69% of Europeans are in favor of the relations between the EU and the United States development. [1] The desire of Americans and Europeans to strengthen mutual economic cooperation found formal expression in an attempt to create a transatlantic free trade area (Transatlantic Free Trade Area - TAFTA). The starting point for the TAFTA can be considered as 1994 year when the Government of Germany has raised such issue at the US-EU summit. However, due to the complexity of such a project it took a long time to accomplish it. The main criticism of this project was from France, historically skeptical relating to strengthening the role of the United States in Europe, both in culture and in the field of economics. Germany, by contrast, was the main lobbyist for the Free Trade Area. Berlin has backed the inclusion of this issue in the New Transatlantic Agenda in 1995, then Chancellor Merkel invited to consider TAFTA as an answer to the stagnating WTO Doha round since together with its trading partners, this area will cover up to 60% of world trade. [2] Berlin also made the issue of signing a key transatlantic trade agreement during its presidency of the EU in 2007. Ironically, in 2013, when President Obama's speech to the nation, highlighted the good prospects for the creation of TAFTA [3] and the signing of a comprehensive agreement by the end of 2014 [4], the scandal with listening German Chancellor by the US intelligence has postponed the event. Despite the disagreements on the political level, the ratio of the Germans and the population in the United States to deepen transatlantic economic integration through the creation of TAFTA remains at a high level. In Germany, 55% to 25%, and 53% in the United States to 20% of the population were in favor of the creation of TAFTA. It is very important that in both countries there is no partisan differences on this issue, but the "democrats" (60%) are more likely to support the transatlantic trade, rather than the "Republicans" (44%). Furthermore, among young Americans support of TAFTA is bigger- 67% of Americans aged 18-29 years and only 45% over 50 years. While maintaining the idea of trans-Atlantic trade, in general, when it comes to more specific issues, such as the elimination of tariff barriers, the number of TAFTA supporters in Germany and the United States drops significantly. Only 38% of Germans and 41% of Americans favor core TAFTA decision to abolish tariff barriers. [5] We have to admit that attempts to eliminate or reduce non-tariff barriers in the interaction of Germany and the United States carried out a relatively long time and with varying degrees of success. The most effective-proven method is when participants are not trying to create a complex comprehensive agreement that suits all parties, and make reforms in the framework of any one particular industry: chemical industry, machinery, software, etc. [11] Another effective method is to support local initiatives -agreements on removing barriers for any industry between certain areas (states, counties, cities, regions, etc.), rather than countries as a whole.

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