Agricultural issues are among the most difficult topics in the negotiations of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the European Union and the United States. The purpose of the article was to identify the scale and scope of differences of opinions on the major issues of the negotiations related to agriculture and to try to assess the possibility of reaching a compromise that takes into account both the existing constraints and potential benefits. Research results, based on the study of literature and analysis of source documents, revealed significant differences in approaches especially in matters of food safety and protection of geographical indications. A compromise is therefore very difficult to obtain, despite the considerable potential benefits resulting from the increase in bilateral trade. It seems that it would be relatively easy to determine the issues of tariff reductions on agricultural and food products, whereas a compromise with regard to non-tariff measures, in particular certain sanitary and phytosanitary barriers, would be the most difficult to reach.

Agricultural issues are among the most difficult topics in the negotiations of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the European Union and the United States. The purpose of the article was to identify the scale and scope of differences of opinions on the major issues of the negotiations related to agriculture and to try to assess the possibility of reaching a compromise that takes into account both the existing constraints and potential benefits. Research results, based on the study of literature and analysis of source documents, revealed significant differences in approaches especially in matters of food safety and protection of geographical indications. A compromise is therefore very difficult to obtain, despite the considerable potential benefits resulting from the increase in bilateral trade. It seems that it would be relatively easy to determine the issues of tariff reductions on agricultural and food products, whereas a compromise with regard to non-tariff measures, in particular certain sanitary and phytosanitary barriers, would be the most difficult to reach.