Richard Bruton proposed free trade agreement with China

Jobs Minister Richard Bruton urged the European Commission to bring negotiations over a contentious transatlantic trade deal to “a rapid conclusion” and said he hoped an equivalent Chinese deal could also be struck.

The proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is aimed at encouraging trade between the EU and US by removing some remaining tariffs and harmonising regulatory standards.

Opponents’ greatest concern centres on the establishment of a special trade court which they say offers corporations the power to sue sovereign states but which the Commission deems necessary to protect businesses’ interests.