Germany: Merkel wants TTIP frameworks agreement by end of 2015

By the end of 2015, the European Union and the United States want to agree on the frameworks of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at a gathering of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in Berlin, Monday. According to the chancellor, both parties agreed on that at the latest G7 summit in Elmau. Merkel told her party members that for her the many criticisms the planned agreement faces are unfounded. The USA has “relatively high standards", she said, adding that "before we never fought trade agreements about just duties." She also warned that other countries and regions are working on similar agreements and “for Europe and the USA it is very important not to arrive later, to be the last ones." Thousands of people have protested against TTIP in several countries. Adversaries of the TTIP say that the agreement would harm social, consumer and environmental protection.