Food safety - the main question of European-American negotiations on free trade

Negotiations have moved from discussing the conceptual framework to address issues related to trade.

The United States and the European Union have made progress in the negotiations on free trade , but there were differences concerning the export of U.S. beef and chicken that do not conform to strict EU safety standards.

In the coming months, expect to intensify negotiations , the U.S. side said that the talks have moved from discussing the conceptual framework to address issues related to trade.

However, the export of agricultural products within the framework of the Transatlantic trade and investment cooperation (TTIP), which is one third of international trade and almost half of the global economy, no agreement was reached.

The European Union is closed to U.S. beef produced with growth stimulant and poultry treated with chlorine , as consumers in the EU are afraid to use these unsafe products.

U.S. say they do not intend to force the Europeans to eat what they want , the problem is to ensure food safety. The United States is considering food safety regulations of the EU as a veiled protectionist policy of European farmers and insist on getting the scientific justification for any restrictions.

In a recent trade deal with the European Union, Canada won the right to export more beef without hormones in the EU, but according to U.S. farmers , preparing individual circuits processing products without hormones would be too costly.

Negotiations are still going on in individual sectors TTIP energy and financial services, to which the EU is committed , but the United States resisted . Its objective - to finalize the agreement by the end of 2015.

Source: Agro2b