Professors, National Experts, Hold Roundtable Discussion at ESU’s Lehigh Valley Center to Talk About U.S. – European Union Trade Agreements

Posted by: admin on September 17, 2014, No Comments

A panel of experts will convene at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley Center, 60 West Broad Street, Bethlehem, on Thursday, October 23 at 6 p.m. to discuss the current negotiations underway between the U.S. and the European Union (EU) to establish a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) or, a free trade agreement. This discussion, titled “US-EU Trade Agreement Negotiations: Truths and Myths,” will address the potential opportunities and risks associated with such an undertaking. The agreement, if approved, could potentially lead to an increase of $100 billion per year in additional trade and allow for over 600 thousand new jobs in the U.S.  A risk, however, is that the partnership agreement may weaken current strong standards for chemical management that now exist.

“After managing a small business in the European Union (EU) for several years, I became increasingly familiar with what Americans can learn from the EU and vice versa,” said Christopher Brooks, Dr. phil., ESU associate professor of history. “Indeed, our history of trade with European markets dates back centuries. So, when I started reading about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership about two years ago, I immediately realized just how important this could be for our university, our region and our nation,” Brooks added. “I thought this panel discussion would be a great way for university colleagues and others to partner and provide good information to business owners, investors and the general public about the challenges and opportunities that this agreement could present.”

The hour-long discussion was organized by Dr. Brooks and will be moderated by Sheila Handy, Ph.D., ESU professor and chair of business management. Panelists are: Lindi von Mutius, executive director of the German-American Chamber of Commerce; Tony Silberfeld, director of Transatlantic Relations for Bertelsmann Foundation, the largest private operating non-profit foundation in Germany; Ralf Wiedemann, Esq., an associate of Montgomery McCracken and a member of the firm’s Immigration and Nationality practicein Philadelphia; and Brooks and Johan Eliasson, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, both from ESU.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Dr. Brooks at 570-422-3913.