TTIP: Common position of transatlantic automobile industry Brussels, 2 February 2015 -‐ As the 8th round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations gets underway in Brussels this week, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC) and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (Auto Alliance) are again voicing their common position on behalf of the transatlantic automobile industry. Speaking ahead of the stakeholders’ consultations, the industry bodies said: “Auto trade already represents 10% of total EU-‐US trade. Together, we are calling for a comprehensive automotive deal which should include the elimination of both tariffs and non-‐tariff barriers through regulatory convergence. This will increase trade volumes, lower production costs, create more and better jobs, and improve industrial competitiveness. We believe this can happen without lowering the high safety and environmental standards we have in both the US and the EU.” “Manufacturers currently face unnecessary redesign and redevelopment costs to produce cars for export to the US in order to meet safety standards which differ to those in the EU,” explained ACEA Secretary General Erik Jonnaert. “This does not add additional safety protection. Where EU and US standards are, in their outcomes, effectively equivalent, we should be able to agree on mutual recognition. For future regulations, we should aim for harmonisation and encourage regulators to work more closely together to find common solutions.” ACEA, AAPC and the Auto Alliance have been actively working with negotiators on both sides of the Atlantic since the announcement of the TTIP negotiations. On 4 February, they will be making a joint presentation to the negotiators during the stakeholders' consultation meeting. *** Notes for editors About ACEA ACEA’s members are BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford of Europe, Opel Group, Hyundai Motor Europe, IVECO, Jaguar Land Rover, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault Group, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, Volvo Cars, Volvo Group. More information can be found on www.acea.be or @ACEA_eu. Facts about the EU automobile industry • Some 12.7 million people -‐ or 5% of the EU employed population -‐ work in the sector. • The 3 million jobs in automotive manufacturing represent 10.3% of EU's manufacturing employment. • Motor vehicles account for €388 billion in tax contribution in the EU15. • The sector is also a key driver of knowledge and innovation, representing Europe's largest private contributor to R&D, with €32.3 billion invested annually. • The automotive sector contributes significantly to the EU trade balance with a €95 billion surplus. For more information, please contact Cara McLaughlin, [email protected], +32 2 738 73 45; +32 485 88 66 47