|
The Pew Research Center poll showed only 41
percent of Germans think the Transatlantic Trade and Investment
Partnership (TTIP) is a good thing, compared to 50 percent of
Americans. While U.S. opinion was little changed over the last
year, German support fell 14 percentage points, from 55 percent
a year earlier.
The findings show the challenges European officials face in
convincing citizens of the merits of the pact, which some
experts say could generate $100 billion a year in additional
economic output on both sides of the Atlantic.
More than a third of Germans, or 36 percent, think TTIP would be
bad for their country, compared to 21 percent of Americans.
Six in 10 skeptics in Germany said they worried the deal would
lower local food, environmental and auto safety
standards. Only 18 percent named controversial rules allowing
firms to take cross-border legal action against governments as
their top concern.
Half the American skeptics were most worried about the deal
hurting jobs and wages, a concern that registered less with
Germans.
The findings on TTIP were part of a broader poll on American and
German attitudes toward each other, released on the eve of the
70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
The U.S. interviews were conducted February 26 to March 1, among
a national sample of 1,003 adults, with a margin of sampling
error of +/- 3.7 percentage points.
The German interviews were conducted February 24-25, among a
national sample of 963 adults. The margin of sampling error was
+/- 4.7 percentage points.
(Reporting by Krista Hughes; Editing by Richard Chang)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
