Obama-term trade deal a 'heavy lift': EU envoy

London

THE United States and the European Union face a major challenge to achieve a free trade deal before President Barack Obama's term of office ends in January 2017, the EU's ambassador to the United States said on Monday.

Doubts have been growing among EU officials about whether a trade deal can be achieved given the United States' current focus on a trade deal with Pacific nations and deep splits within the European Parliament in Brussels.