Services are an increasingly important in the global economy and a central part of the economy of every EU country.\u00a0 The EU is the world’s largest exporter of services with tens of millions of jobs throughout Europe in the services sector.\u00a0 Opening up markets for services will mean more growth and jobs.<\/p>\n
The Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) is a trade agreement currently being negotiated by 23 members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Together, the participating countries account for 70% of world trade in services.<\/p>\n
TiSA is based on the WTO’s General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), which involves all WTO members.\u00a0 The key provisions of the\u00a0GATS\u00a0\u2013 scope, definitions, market access, national treatment and exemptions \u2013 are also found in\u00a0TiSA. This also means that if enough WTO members join,\u00a0TiSA\u00a0could be turned into a broader WTO agreement and its benefits extended beyond the current participants.<\/p>\n
The talks are based on proposals made by the participants.\u00a0\u00a0TiSA\u00a0aims at opening up markets and improving rules in areas such as licensing, financial services, telecoms, e-commerce, maritime transport, and professionals moving abroad temporarily to provide services.<\/p>\n
TiSA is open to all WTO members who want to open up trade in services. China has asked to join the talks.<\/p>\n
So what is happening?<\/strong><\/p>\n The meetings take place in Geneva. They are chaired alternately by the EU, Australia and the US. The talks and decision-making are consensus-based.<\/p>\n The talks started formally in March 2013, with participants agreeing on a basic text in September 2013.\u00a0 By the end of 2013, most participants had indicated which of their services markets they were prepared to open and to what extent.<\/p>\n By June 2016, 18 negotiation rounds have taken place.\u00a0The talks are progressing well. \u00a0There is no formally set deadline for ending the negotiations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Services are an increasingly important in the global economy and a central part of the economy of every EU country.\u00a0 The EU is the world’s largest exporter of services with tens of millions of jobs throughout Europe in the services sector.\u00a0 Opening up markets for services will mean more growth and jobs. The Trade in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,12,11],"tags":[163,164],"class_list":["post-511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international-trade","category-legal","category-logistics-transportation","tag-tisa","tag-trade-in-services-agreement"],"yoast_head":"\n