<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><p style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">Juncker to ask EU leaders to reconfirm TTIP mandate at June Council</b></p>POLITCO Pro<br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" class=""><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" class="">-- By Hans von der Burchard</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" class=""><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" class="">5/30/16, 1:17 PM CET</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" class=""><p style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will ask EU leaders to reconfirm their commitment to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) at the European Council in late June, the Commission announced today.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">“President Juncker feels that the time has come to ask heads of state and governments of the European Union to have a new discussion on where we are and where we want to get with these negotiations,” spokesperson Daniel Rosario said.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">He added that “at the upcoming June European Council, President Juncker will ask the leaders of the EU to reconfirm the Commission’s mandate to conduct these talks.”</p><p style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">The announcement comes after skepticism has been raised among EU leaders and their trade ministers whether a deal can or should be reached.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">French President François Hollande <a target="_blank" class="blue" href="http://politico.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e26c1a1c392386a968d02fdbc&id=6860f2a2d3&e=6720c65ebb">earlier this month</a> said that his country would say “No” to TTIP at the negotiations’ current level of outcome, and German Economic and Trade Minister Sigmar Gabriel <a target="_blank" class="blue" href="http://politico.us8.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=e26c1a1c392386a968d02fdbc&id=4ccf08ace3&e=6720c65ebb">on Sunday said</a> his Social Democratic Party doesn’t “wish to be part of a bad deal.”</p><p style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">Rosario said that the talks have entered a “crucial phase” and continued that, “if we are to deliver on [our] commitment, we have to make sure that we are all rowing in the same direction.”</p><p style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">Earlier today, <a target="_blank" class="blue" href="http://politico.us8.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=e26c1a1c392386a968d02fdbc&id=5501085759&e=6720c65ebb">POLITICO reported</a> that tensions are rising between the EU and U.S. over agricultural issues, the level of political commitment and the willingness to offer more in the trade talks.</p><p style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">Commission chief spokesperson Margaritis Schinas said: “It’s not the first time that the president does a check of political will among EU leaders.”</p></body></html>