Weerstand oppositie VS tegen handelsplannen van Merkel (en)

German chancellor Angela Merkel's plan for a transatlantic economic partnership is running into opposition from Washington.

German daily Handelsblatt reports that several important issues on how to smooth the operation of the regulatory frameworks on either side of the Atlantic remain open.

"At the working level, US blockade attempts are increasing," says a high-ranking official from industry commissioner Günter Verheugen's office, according to the paper.

The German government confirmed the difficulties and warned against both sides "ensnarling" themselves at working level in long and difficult fighting over the details.

The technical difficulties are coming late in the day with both sides due to meet at a bilateral summit at the end of this month.

A report outlining the economic benefits of working together in regulatory questions has not yet been finished as is unlikely to be before the 30 April meeting in Washington.

Failure to get something substantial on common regulatory issues off the ground would be a blow to Ms Merkel who has publicly championed the idea.

At the beginning of the year, she raised the issue of cutting barriers to trade between the two blocs with US president George W. Bush.

Ms Merkel also devoted a keynote speech at the World Economic Forum in January to the issue.

The German chancellor wants to see a transatlantic economic partnership by 2015 focusing on harmonising intellectual property rights, environmental protection, technical standards and trade security.

But ahead of the summit, there have also been reports that the two sides cannot agree the wording on environment and energy security issues while the so-called 'open skies' deal - on liberalising air traffic - set to be signed off at the summit, is generally seen to have ticked off more on the US' wish list than the EU's.