German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that trade
barriers would be discussed at the EU-US summit, to be held on
Monday in Washington.
"We are convinced trade can still be improved," she said in her
weekly video broadcast, pointing out that EU-US trade made up some
40 percent of world trade.
"There are many bureaucratic barriers, differing standards and
conditions. We want to work towards harmonization here," said the
German chancellor, who will head the European Union delegation as
her country is holding the EU presidency.
She supports recognition by the EU and the US of each other's
accounting standards to save costs for companies registered on both
sides of the Atlantic.
Patents and the protection of intellectual property were also
needing headway, Merkel said, citing as examples different crash
test procedures for cars and standards in approving new
medications.?
(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2007)
