A mammoth free trade deal being hammered out by the European Union and the United States came under attack Tuesday, as EU lawmakers said "opaque" negotiations would lead to an erosion of standards and undue protection for investors. EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht joined the parliamentary debate, which coincided with this week's sixth round of negotiations on the pact, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), dpa reported. "The criticism from the population at the TTIP negotiations is becoming ever stronger," EU lawmaker Helmut Scholz of the far-left GUE/NGL party told the commissioner, calling on him to pause the talks and reconsider. -- SPA 22:09 LOCAL TIME 19:09 GMT تغريد
