Brussels, 13/10/2006 (Agence Europe) -In the new trade strategy for the EU (“Global Europe”, see EUROPE 9278), Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson's approach on trans-Atlantic trade relations, particularly given certain interpretations by the international press, were not without a certain ambiguity. Addressing the EP international trade committee on Tuesday, he restated his support for the position taken by German Chancellor Angela Merkel of consolidating trans-Atlantic relations. Meeting the members of the EU-US parliamentary delegation less than an hour afterwards, Mr Mandelson once again shone some light on his approach: “We should and are always looking for ways to build our EU-US relationship further, to ease trade flows, and remove barriers,” he said. He continued, “Reasons why we should not do an FTA (free trade agreement) are clear. Among other things, tariff barriers between the EU and the US are particularly low. Also the wrong signal would be sent to the rest of the world just when we are trying to restart Doha. So a major push for an FTA is perhaps not the right approach. It is not clear that EU member states want it, nor is there an appetite for it in the US. The best approach to the EU-US relationship is the patient painstaking, negotiation on the pragmatic bilateral agenda that we are already undertaking, stronger cooperation in multilateral negotiations and a dialogue on integrating emerging economies into the global economy”. (eh)