EU and US start talks about a free-trade agreement

[Corny]

The European Union and the US will begin formal talks on a free-trade agreement, paving the way for the biggest trade deal in history.European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso made the announcement following President Barack Obama's State of the Union address.
A deal would bring down trading barriers between the two biggest economies in the world.
EU-US trade is worth around 455bn euros (£393bn; $613bn) a year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21439945


I am somewhat surprised. This will be a monumental task. Also I'm not so sure yet what the US will get out of it since in comparison they don't export that much. Anyway - even for a private person, this is a good thing.

But there are so many things to consider .. for example the dangerous Kinder Eggs that are verboten in the US But also genitically manipulated food - which is forbidden here. Or what about cars? Finally you could get the European version of a car (or the American one) ... but the regulations are totally different.

[bankside]

The good part is that McDonald's will be able to import its mystery meat to Europe and it will be no more of a mystery than what Europeans are currently eating in their hamburgers.

[Tengilethos]

McDonald's Deutschland aggressively markets all their food as grown and produced locally in Germany. I doubt they will jeopardize their (relatively) good reputation in regards to food quality and safety.

But I think this is a good idea. Wages are largely similar between the two economic blocs, and further cooperation between the two most important regulators in the world will make life much easier for all kinds of business.

[bankside]

I agree, but I expect France will never give up its agricultural subsidies. I think they would Frexit first. Frexit? You know, like Grexit...