How to prepare for FTA negotiations (Part II)

In the second part of my 'checklist' for preparing an FTA negotiation I cover Services, Investment and, briefly, two topics that are essential but cannot be taught: the creation of 'defensive' and 'offensive' briefs for the negotiators.

Ambitious international 'economic integration' agreements are measured by their provisions on investment and services. There are opportunities in these chapters of an FTA to greatly expand the range of export and import opportunities and even to harmonize national regulatory frameworks. Naturally, this needs careful preparation with domestic 'stakeholders' and detailed analysis by negotiators.

A negotiator should never sit down at the table until she/he has a pretty good idea of the 'bottom-line' for both sides. But it's a mistake to finalize either your 'offensive' or 'defensive' brief before you start. These brief sections of the Checklist explain why, and how to manage the briefs with your stakeholder community.

The 'checklist' is in the form of an outline that you can 'drill-down' through. This is the second of three parts covering sections 1 - 8 of the checklist (opens in a new window)