Germans hit the streets in protest against TTIP

Since July 2013, the EU and the US have been negotiating a bilateral free trade agreement known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Out of all the EU countries, Germany has the largest proportion of people who oppose the measure. Thousands of Germans took part in Saturday's scheduled protests against TTIP.

Over 200 German cities, towns and communities got involved in the anti-TTIP protest. Pictured here is the protest in Berlin. Various trade unions, social movements and organizations were represented in the demonstrations.

TTIP supporters claim the agreement will result in economic growth that will benefit over 800 million people - the population of the EU and US combined. But opponents fear an increase in corporate power that would make it more difficult for governments to control markets for public benefit.

One of the protestors' primary concerns is EU health and safety standards becoming compromised, particularly in the area of food. They also fear that US multinationals would use a special clause - Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) - to test Europe's laws and circumvent national courts.

Opponents say ISDS would offer multinational corporations an unfair advantage because they could sue governments for damages. ISDS has been part of international trade agreements since the 1950s and is designed to give greater legal certainty to companies operating in legal jurisdictions other than their own.

Pro-TTIP voices have also been heard in Germany. The deal has the support of the German coalition government, even though the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) have been critical of it. German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel of the SPD (pictured right), has pledged to prevent any clauses in the deal that go against the ideals of his party - including protection clauses called for by the US.

German carmakers have also backed the deal. At an event in Berlin earlier this year, top representatives from Daimler, BMW, Porsche and Volkswagen lobbied in favor of TTIP, saying their firms would save more than 1 billion euros ($1.08 billion) each year if tariffs were lifted.

The TTIP agreement was originally expected to be finalized by the end of 2014, but this deadline wasn't met. It is now hoped that negotiations can come to a close in 2015.