15/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - De Gucht says trade deal possible with Canada in 2011 and TEC talks with the United States after summer break, but no improvements with China. EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht told the European Parliament on 12 April 2011 that he had good hopes that the negotiations over an economic and trade deal with Canada (launched in 2009) would be brought to a conclusion before the end of the year. Karel De Gucht said a long-term process was underway in the talks between the EU and the United States over a Transatlantic Economic Programme (TEC), which would continue after the summer break. The Commissioner expressed disappointment about the slow progress in the trade talks with China with the aim of improving the business environment and opening up the Chinese market to the EU. He said that there was the general feeling that the economic climate in China was not improving and the EU was therefore using all the tools at its disposal to improve matters. (E.H./transl.fl)