The 13th round of EU-US talks on the TTIP deal started in the United States earlier on Monday, a day after US President Barack Obama said during a visit to Germany that the TTIP should be signed by the end of the year. German Chancellor Angela Merkel supported Obama’s call to speed up the signing of the agreement.
"All in all, it is doubtful that UK investors will find additional protections from an EU-US investment protection treaty beyond those currently provided, and enforced, under US law," the official assessment, conducted by the London School of Economics, found.
The TTIP deal has drawn criticism from the public for the lack of transparency in its negotiations and the power it would potentially give to international corporations. It has also been slammed for bypassing the framework of the World Trade Organization and excluding BRICS countries. Leaked details of the deal show that it might undermine environmental, health, safety and labor standards.