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In 2013, the European Commission and the United States Trade Representative started negotiations for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) or Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) between their respective economies, initiating what could become the largest commercial agreement in the present world. In the words of former Trade Commissioner of the European Union, Karel De Gucht: "This deal will set the standard - not only for our future bilateral trade and investment but also for the development of global rules". Though these negotiations are not made public, their content is already widely controversial in several European Union (EU) Member States. The aim of this work is to analyse these controversial negotiations by studying those preceding the conclusion of earlier free trade agreements (FTAs), concluded by both the EU and the United States of America (U.S.), and the subsequent impact of these treaties on the economies of their parties.

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Morgane Van Ermengem was born in Belgium and studied law in Belgium (KU Leuven), Singapore (NUS) and Vienna (Universität Wien). Her interest in different aspects of international trade and free trade agreements has only accrued throughout her studies, and has led her to write her thesis on this subject whilst at the Universität Wien.

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