A day after Greenpeace leaked TTIP negotiation documents, which the environmental group claimed was really about “a huge transfer of power from people to big business”, France opposed the deal "at this stage".
French President Francois Hollande said he was "at this stage" opposed to the free trade accord between the European Union and the US — the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership —unless rules to protect domestic businesses were respected.
"At this stage of negotiations, France says no to TTIP because we are not for free trade without rules," Hollande said.
"We will never accept questioning the essential principles for our agriculture, reciprocity in access to public markets," he added.
French Trade Minister Matthias Fekl said that Washington wants the all-encompassing TTIP trade deal with Europe to go through, but was unwilling to budge on many points, jeopardising the entire talks.
According to Greenpeace, the deal threatens to do away with a whole series of protections, such as those relating to the environment, consumer protection and food produce. The documents reveal some wide rifts between the US and EU in these areas.
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership has been discussed behind closed doors since 2013. It will affect a trade zone inhabited by 850 million people, and has received strident criticism from many Europeans who believe it was not in their best interest, RT news reported.
"In view of the United States' state of mind today, that seems to be the most likely option," French Trade Minister Matthias Fekl said on Europe 1 radio on Tuesday, when asked if he thought the negotiations were in danger of halting.