Negotiations expected to begin during summit later this month

The European Union sees broader access for investment in China as a key issue in negotiations on an agreement that will consolidate 27 bilateral pacts, the head of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China said.

"The more open the market is, the more European investors enter. European companies are very interested in entering the telecommunications, energy, construction, railway and financial service industries in China, if access can be further eased through a bilateral investment treaty," Davide Cucino, president of the chamber, told China Daily.