France urges halt to thorny EU-US trade negotiations

Paris

FRANCE said on Tuesday it wanted to halt thorny EU-US trade talks as President Francois Hollande said there would be no deal at least until after US President Barack Obama leaves office in January.

Junior trade minister Matthias Fekl said there was "no more political support in France" for the talks because US negotiators were offering "nothing or just crumbs".

"France calls for an end to these negotiations," Mr Fekl told RMC radio.

Mr Hollande, in a speech to France's diplomatic corps, chose his words more carefully but said it would be an "illusion" to say a deal was close.

"The current discussions on the treaty between Europe and the United States will not lead to an agreement by the end of the year," he added. "France would rather see things as they are…