Canada says important work remains to be done on EU trade deal

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada said on Friday that top-level talks on a proposed trade deal with the European Union had failed to iron out all the remaining differences between the two sides.

"Progress was made in several of the areas that remain outstanding. However, further important work remains to be done, and the process of negotiations is continuing," a spokesman for Canadian Trade Minister Ed Fast said in an e-mail.

Fast and EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht spent most of Thursday talking in Ottawa on contentious issues such as agricultural exports, intellectual property and public procurement.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Janet Guttsman)