Chickens slaughtered in the United States, claim officials in Brussels, are not fit to grace
European tables. No, say the Americans: our fowl are fine, we simply clean them in a different
way. These days, it is differences in national regulations, far more than tariffs, that put sand
in the wheels of trade between rich countries. It is not just farmers who are complaining.
An electric razor that meets the European Union's safety standards must be approved by American
testers before it can be sold in the United States, and an American-made dialysis machine needs
the EU's okay before it hits the market in Europe.
As it happens, a razor that is safe in Europe is unlikely to electrocute Americans. So,
ask businesses on both sides of the Atlantic, why have two lots of tests where one would do?
Politicians agree, in principle, so America and the EU have been trying to reach a deal which would
eliminate the need to double-test many products. They hope to finish in time for a trade summit
between America and the EU on May 28th. Although negotiators are optimistic, the details are
complex enough that they may be hard-pressed to get a deal at all. Why? One difficulty is to
construct the agreements. The Americans would happily reach one accord on standards for medical
devices and then hammer out different pacts covering, say, electronic goods and drug manufacturing.
The EU -- following fine continental traditions -- wants agreement on general principles, which
could be applied to many types of products and perhaps extended to other countries.