EU and US negotiators entered into an eighth round of free trade talks on Monday, amid hope that political reshuffles on both sides of the Atlantic could help breathe fresh air into the mammoth consultations, dpa reported. The week-long negotiations follow the strengthening of Republicans in US congressional elections and are the first to be attended by officials of the new European Commission of Jean-Claude Juncker. The lead negotiators, US Trade Representative Michael Froman and EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, have both spoken of a "fresh start" in the efforts to form a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which have been ongoing since 2013. The agreement would create the world's largest free trade zone and would help revive the European Union's flagging economy. But progress has been slow, amid criticism from consumer groups on both sides of the Atlantic who fear a watering down of standards. This week's talks are to focus on regulatory barriers, such as differences in technical standards and regulations on food and animal health, an EU official said on condition of anonymity, adding that the two sides are "very close" to a breakthrough.
