EU states approve conditions for limited trade talks with US

EU countries have approved the conditions for negotiating a new and strictly limited trade deal with the US, paving the way for talks to begin. The Brussels headquarters said on Monday that the agreement will focus on eliminating tariffs on industrial goods only, and would not include agricultural products despite US demands they be on the table, AP reported. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom welcomed the agreement, saying that the EU is “now ready to move ahead into the next phase of EU-US relations.” This is separate from a previous trade negotiation, known as TTIP, which is officially “in the freezer,” according to the commissioner.