The EU has launched a fresh attempt to punch back against accusations that it is trying to conclude a landmark trade deal with the US in secret, publishing eight of its negotiating proposals in key sectors...The publication is an attempt to counter a growing swell of opposition from non-governmental organisations, which argue that the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership only serves the interests of big multinational companies and would lower European standards on food, health and the environment. If concluded, TTIP would represent the world’s biggest trade deal...Bernd Lange, the socialist lawmaker who heads the European Parliament’s trade committee, welcomed the step but pushed for still greater transparency. “The road ahead is still long,” he said...