The US and the EU wrapped up a week of secret trade talks over the controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on Friday.<br /><br />Critics say TTIP would allow a de facto takeover by multinational corporations of the EU’s regulatory framework, handing too much power to big business.<br /><br />At a press conference on Friday, negotiators attempted to address concerns that European health and welfare systems would be at risk.<br /><br />“We heard the concern that our negotiations should not require privatisation of public services such as water utilities, education, national healthcare,” said Dan Mullaney, US chief TTIP negotiator. <br /><br />“So, we welcome the opportunity to confirm that the United States does not include such provisions in its trade agreements and will not do so in this negotiation,” he added.<br /><br />Backers say TTIP would create wealth and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic and still uphold regulatory standards, something the EU representative Garcia-Bercero was keen to affirm.<br /><br />“Nothing will be done which could lower or endanger the protection of the environment, health, safety, consumers, data privacy or indeed any other public policy goal,” he said.<br /><br />Stefan Grobe, our correspondent in Washington, said negotiators were still cagey about what had been agreed in the seventh round of talks:<br /><br />“The chief negotiators also addressed the controversial issue of transparency, although not convincingly. The talks were held in secret, only a minimum of information was given to the media and neither one was willing to say how many more rounds of talks we should expect,” Grobe said.