As trade liberalisation has become a feature of the global economy, there has been a lot of talk about the possibility of a Free Trade Agreement between Europe and North America. However, the prospective partners on both sides of the Atlantic are not yet at the stage of agreeing how to negotiate such an ambitious project.
Some countries are more enthusiastic than others.
In Europe, the United Kingdom is very keen and Germany is looking at the matter with interest, but in North America the United States has been somewhat more cautious. Nevertheless, although the idea has taken some time to catch on in Washington, it appears to be gaining support there. The project is an attractive one. But the negotiation process could prove difficult, given the conflicting interests involved. It took almost eight years to complete the Uruguay Round and there are many issues relating to agriculture, telecommunications, the film industry and textiles that have still not been satisfactorily resolved between Europe and North America.