International Trade committee  I think from our perspective we would simply wish to echo what you said. We are very grateful indeed for the opportunity to be here. The point I started on was the point I think I can finish on. We would hope that in the course of the negotiations, there is a recognition—which

International Trade committee  Chair, can I be guided by you? Rose would like to respond briefly to this issue. Is there time to do that? Thank you.

International Trade committee  I'll give José Isaías an opportunity, because he is the final one to say a few words.

International Trade committee  I stress that ours would be an advisory role. For the specifics, I'll ask Jean-François to answer, because I think we should share some of this, and you should not just hear a monologue from me. We're here very much as a team, and I want to stress that. I have a program here, an

International Trade committee  Yes. Do you wish me to answer them as they come...?

International Trade committee  The answer to that is yes.

International Trade committee  Absolutely.

International Trade committee  Our opinion is on Canada and Canada alone. We also, a few years ago, had an opinion in terms of transatlantic relations, but our experience in terms of looking at things from a transatlantic point of view has not been terribly productive. In terms of the major partner in the tr

International Trade committee  The answer to that would be no, we have not set rules in advance, but we have in terms of other trade agreements. This has been a reasonably new phenomenon in terms of the trade agreements, that there is the facility for this ongoing role for, as we define them, the civil society

International Trade committee  I'm sorry to interrupt, but it was remiss of me when I was rushing: I should have stressed that we are an advisory body.

International Trade committee  I just wanted to make that clear, because Jean-François correctly drew to my attention that I had not, and we have a clear role in terms of where we are consulted by the Parliament on legislative programs, etc. My apologies for interrupting. I just wanted to clarify something it

International Trade committee  First of all, thank you very much indeed for the opportunity to be here. As you correctly said at the beginning, we are here on a relatively short but very, very intensive program, which is representing the European Economic and Social Committee, of which the three of us are mem