A Growing EU Wants Liberal Transatlantic Trade

If the 15-nation -- and soon likely to be larger -- European Union has its way, a new round of global trade negotiations will be launched at a major World Trade Organization conference late next year. In the meantime the EU plans to work with the U.S. in liberalizing transatlantic trade -- perhaps by creating a free-trade zone. Closer to home, the EU -- with Austria now sitting in its rotating presidency chair -- expects to receive by the end of 1998 formal reports on the membership negotiations now underway with Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Slovenia, and Cyprus.