Negotiations on a disputed investor protection clause in a planned EU-US trade deal are unlikely to resume before the end of the year, dpa cited the European Union's chief negotiator as saying on Friday, as the sixth round of talks ended in Brussels. A year has passed since the start of negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which aims to establish the world's largest free trade area. Backers hope it will spur growth and create jobs. But progress has been slow in the wide-ranging talks, which cover issues from tariffs to market access and regulatory standards. The deal has also faced opposition on both sides of the Atlantic, over worries that it could water down consumer protection laws. One cause for outcry has been a mechanism to settle disputes between foreign investments and national governments, which consumer groups fear could be abused by corporations. -- SPA 21:21 LOCAL TIME 18:21 GMT تغريد
