The talks will help pave the way for a future trade and investment deal which facilitates trade between the European Union and the United States. Negotiators will discuss a wide range of topics covering different aspects of the agreement.

EU Trade Commissioner, Karel De Gucht, recently stated that the EU and the US will now start “to get into the heart of the negotiations.”

In tandem with next week's talks, the EU will host a series of meetings for stakeholders including business, labour, environmental and consumer groups in Brussels on Wednesday 12 March 2014. This is part of the Commission's ongoing efforts to hear from as wide a range of interests as possible.