Kirk Says His Door is Open to Academics Opposing the TPP
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk's door is open to academics skeptical of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations among the U.S. and other countries, Kirk wrote in response to a group of law professors who had complained specifically about poor transparency in…
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intellectual-property chapter negotiations in Dallas in May. Kirk's letter, dated May 30, was made public by the IP program at American University's law school. Kirk told the academics the Obama administration invites participation from stakeholders "far beyond the 'cleared advisers'" who serve in its advisory committee system, and his office "would welcome the opportunity to sit down with you and your colleagues" to discuss TPP negotiation, just as negotiators "spoke directly" to more than 300 individuals and 45 organizations that attended the Dallas stakeholder event. The academics had criticized the shift from "full day open forums" for stakeholders to make presentations to negotiators, to a "4-hour mid-day ... exhibit hall for stakeholder tables."