German Official Says U.S.-Europe Trade Talks Have Collapsed, Blames Washington

BERLIN-German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel warned on Sunday that negotiations to build a vast trans-Atlantic free-trade zone have failed, amid mounting criticism of the deal, particularly in Germany and France.

Both Washington and Brussels have pushed for a deal by the end of the year, despite strong misgivings among some European Union member states over the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or TTIP.

The controversial trade deal between the European Union and the United States looked doomed yesterday after Germany said the talks had collapsed.

“I, we always said that it’s inconceivable for Germany to take in a million people every year”, Gabriel said in an interview with broadcaster ZDF.

He noted that in 14 rounds of talks, the two sides haven’t agreed on a single common item out of 27 chapters being discussed.

Neither the European Commission nor the U.S. Trade Representative’s office had any immediate response to the comments.

German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said on Sunday he did not see Turkey joining the European Union during his political career, adding that the bloc would not be in a position to take Turkey in even if Ankara met all the entry requirements tomorrow.

“We are determined to continue these negotiations”, added EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström.

Gabriel, who is Angela Merkel’s second-in-command, made the gesture to a group of right-wing protesters, who he referred to as 12 “young, aggressive, swearing and ready-for-violence Nazis”. Concerns of the opponents include declines in consumer and labour protection, environment standards as well as the secrecy of the negotiations.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said TTIP would be “a breeding ground for populism”. Campaigners have called for nationwide protests against the talks on September 17 – about year before Germany’s next general election.

The US leader warned that after Brexit the United Kingdom would be at the “back of the queue” for a trade deal because the US would focus on the larger prize offered by an EU-wide agreement.