The European Union and United States have confirmed plans to begin negotiating what could be the largest-ever free-trade deal of its kind. President Obama noted the potential agreement in his State of the Union speech Tuesday. Lori Wallach of the group Public Citizen criticized the plan, writing, “These talks are aimed at eliminating a list of what multinational corporations call 'trade irritants,' but the rest of us know as strong food safety, environmental and health safeguards,” she wrote.