Belgian PM Considers Suspending EU-US TTIP Negotiations Relevant

EU-US TTIP negotiations may be suspended to ensure a fair balance between the interests of the two parties, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said Monday.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — Negotiations between the European Union and the United States on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) may be suspended to ensure a fair balance between the interests of the two parties, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said Monday.

“The things we see on the table, seemingly are not [balanced]. Therefore, at the present moment, I prefer saying that this is not right and, possibly, we will resume negotiations later on,” the prime minister said in an interview with Soir newspaper.

TTIP seeks to establish a free trade zone between the United States and Europe. The US government started discussions on the draft deal with the European Union in 2013. The details of TTIP, including specific rules of market access, have not been released to the public.

The TTIP agreement has drawn severe criticism for the lack of transparency in the negotiations as well as for the tremendous power it would potentially give to international corporations.