Notes that international agreements have binding force and an impact on EU legislation, and points to the need for negotiations to be transparent throughout the entire process, implying that the institutions should publish the negotiating mandate conferred on the EU negotiator without undermining the EU’s negotiating position; considers that documents related to international agreements should be public in principle, without prejudice to legitimate exceptions and without undermining the trust necessary between the parties concerned t ...[+++]o achieve effective negotiations; regrets that the Commission and the Council routinely classify all documents relating to negotiations, thereby limiting citizens’ access to information; maintains that the public should be given access to all relevant negotiating documents, including those already agreed on, with the exception of those which are considered sensitive, with a clear justification on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.

It is similar to what happened in the U.S., for example, with the fast track negotiating powers which had not been granted to the president and are thus inhibiting and impeding progress or U.S. ability to participate in international trade negotiation to the full extent that it would have been able to with fast track.

Commission propose seeks negotiation mandate from Council for new fisheries protocol with Greenland t

The EU member states have already mandated the Commission to negotiate air transport relations with Switzerland, Norway and Sweden, prior to enlargement, and are expected to grant a mandate for the countries of central and eastern Europe. 9. US carriers can operate from all US airports to a wide range of airports in the Community.

19. UNDERTAKES to examine with interest, in the light of the "added value" principle set out in point 17 as well as the considerations set out in point 13 above, the communications and corresponding Recommendations from the Commission relating to the development of aviation relations between the Community and the Russian Federation and the Community and the People's Republic of China respectively; concerning these countries, and any other third country for which a new mandate for comprehensive negotiations is granted, the Council considers that the acceptance of community clauses, through bilateral or Community-level ...[+++]negotiation, should be the necessary starting point for Community negotiations;

Following is the full statement made by Prof. PINHEIRO following the adoption by the EU General Affairs (Foreign ministers) Council of negotiating directives on the trade part of the EU/South Africa agreement: "After a long period of discussion, the Council has just adopted the complementary negotiating directives which will allow us to launch the trade part of our negotiations with South Africa.