France will ask the European Commission next month to end negotiations on a massive trade deal between the European Union and the United States, the country's junior minister for trade said Tuesday. "There is no more political support in France for these negotiations" and "France calls for an end to these negotiations," Matthias Fekl told RMC radio. However Brussels is more positive and on Monday the European Commission insisted talks were on track. Activists who have opposed TTIP since negotiations began in 2013 say the deal would only benefit multinationals and harm consumers. France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said it would be "impossible" for the two sides to conclude negotiations on a trade deal by the end of 2016.

Source: The Local August 30, 2016 06:26 UTC