With news reporters distracted by WTO negotiations, the United States and European Union have been cooking up plans for a new free trade agreement, a “barrier-free transatlantic marketplace,” scheduled to be completed by 2015.

If business interests get their way, consumer protections on both sides of the Atlantic will be watered down with the goal of removing “barriers to trade.”  Any diversity in regulations among EU Member States could also challenged in these negotiations. 

Already, officials from EFSA, DG SANCO, and other EC agencies have been meeting with US officials to discuss issues such as meat safety, food labeling, and chemical regulations, and more. Whichever side has stricter rules will be pressured to lower their standards so that they are the same on both sides of the Atlantic.

Some areas where EU regulations could be degraded include:

• GMOs
• Animal hormones
• Meat inspection
• Chemicals and health risks
• Environmental standards for products
• Kyoto Protocol

On June 1 2006, the European Parliament voted to endorse a plan for an EU-US Free Trade Area. Talks will continue at the EU-US Summit in June 2006. Click here to check out our press statement on EU-US trade.