There has been a lot of happy talk about the prospects for a comprehensive free-trade agreement between the United States and the European Union. There is no question that a deal to reduce and eliminate trade barriers between economies accounting for 45 percent of the world’s GDP and nearly 40 percent of its trade would be something to celebrate. But a profound sense of skepticism, shaped by years of U.S. trade-policy sclerosis, has many commentators focused on the daunting obstacles to success.

Please join us for a discussion among experts of the potential economic benefits of an agreement, the obstacles that will need to be overcome, possible negotiating strategies, and the potential effects of a successful outcome on the global trading system and its institutions.