Investor protection clause in EU-US trade talks on ice

Negotiations on a disputed investor protection clause in a planned EU-US trade deal are unlikely to resume before
the end of the year, dpa cited the European Union's chief negotiator as saying on
Friday, as the sixth round of talks ended in Brussels.
A year has passed since the start of negotiations on the
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which aims to
establish the world's largest free trade area. Backers hope it will
spur growth and create jobs.
But progress has been slow in the wide-ranging talks, which cover
issues from tariffs to market access and regulatory standards. The
deal has also faced opposition on both sides of the Atlantic, over
worries that it could water down consumer protection laws.
One cause for outcry has been a mechanism to settle disputes between
foreign investments and national governments, which consumer groups
fear could be abused by corporations.