EU Seeks U.S. Trade Agreement by Mid-2014, De Gucht Says
(Bloomberg – Rebecca Christie and Brian Wingfield)
The European Union and the U.S., which have the world’s largest bilateral economic relationship, are making progress on a trade accord that may be spelled out by mid-2014, EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said.
Tariffs, services, procurement and regulatory issues top the agenda for the proposed agreement, which is taking shape this year. An interim report on the deal’s potential scope is due in June with a final document by the end of 2012, and negotiations could start soon after.
“I propose we negotiate for no longer than 18 months,” De Gucht said today in remarks prepared for a speech in Hamburg. Any accord must be “ambitious enough to include all areas of economic importance, and realistic enough to be successful within a limited period of time.” Read more here.
Date: May 16, 2012
