We want to start with a short keynote by Glyn Moody on the current state of the TTIP negotiations. After that keynote we want to open up the floor for you all as the TTIP experts. The aim of that panel debate should not be to focus at really tiny special issues but to open up the perspective a little bit. So we would suggest merely this overarching type of questions:

• What about that closed shop type of negotiations in times of upcoming open government systems?
• Do we have to define another type of globalization which is more based on online thinking and online globalization?
• Internet and globalization: Internet is not only a tool. Are all people who are against the TTIP agreement also against globalization?
• Which pre-conditions should be guaranteed before shaking hands at the end of these negotiations?
• Why not asking the consumers and citizens what they want to see as the result of that negotiations?

The Bertelsmann Stiftung/Foundation tried to foster a balanced debate the last weeks. The Foundation published a series of pro-TTIP studies (http://www.bfna.org/publication/the-transatlantic-trade-and-investment-partnership-on-track-but-off-message) as well as more critical studies (http://futurechallenges.org/local/lead_article/the-transatlantic-colossus/ and http://bfogp.org/publications/the-transatlantic-colossus/ ). We want to proceed with that balanced direction without hiding the fact that we are in favour of free trade in sum. But we have to rethink the process of reaching free trade and also which type of free trade under which conditions we want to reach in the end. On the basis of that idea of the balanced debate we are really happy to have you as experts for that debate in our session.  

Presented by the Bertelsmann Stiftung in cooperation with the Internet & Society Collaboratory.