Despite both sides having long indicated their resolve to conclude the EU-US trade deal by the end of the Obama Presidency, remarks from Europe and from America are beginning to concede what insiders have known for some time – that the strategic trans-Atlantic deal will likely be concluded no sooner than under the next US president. In the beginning of February, the EU trade commissioner said that negotiators should be entering the end game this summer, but that EU will accept nothing short of a comprehensive agreement. Last week, a White House spokesman said that President Obama would like to see the talks proceed as far as possible, but leaving the completion of the deal to the next administration. In any case, EU and US negotiators will meet later this month in Brussels for the 12th round of talks. They have already scheduled next rounds for April and July. It is clear from this rather tight schedule, that the negotiations are stepping up and the goal to have the deal finalized by the end of the year is still on the table.

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