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By Robin Emmott

BRUSSELS Wed Jan 7, 2015 2:21pm GMT

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union made public on Wednesday confidential papers being used to negotiate a free trade deal with the United States, an unprecedented step to deflect criticism from anti-globalisation campaigners that Brussels is drawing up the world's largest trade deal in secret.

The eight thematic texts, which set out Europe's position in areas ranging from sanitary rules to investment in small companies, do not cover all areas of discussions and not all the ideas set out will necessarily be included in the deal.

But their release marks the most significant step by the European Union in its public relations battle with a broad array of campaigners who are determined to block the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

"There are lots of myths and misconceptions floating around about what we want to achieve and what is not in the agreement," EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom told a news conference, detailing the decision to take this step for the first time.

A final deal, which could be concluded at the end of this year, will contain 24 chapters and Malmstrom promised to continue to publish the European Union's papers as progress is made and always after they have been shown to the United States.

Free-trade advocates say the trade agreement will create a market of 800 million people, create millions of jobs and serve as a counterbalance to Russian and Chinese power.

Political parties and campaigners from across Europe opposed to the deal, who have unified under the banner 'Stop TTIP', say an accord will undermine European food and environmental laws and allow U.S. multinationals to bully EU governments into doing their bidding.

Prominent EU lawmaker Ska Keller, the deputy leader of the multinational Greens bloc in the European Parliament, said the transparency initiative remains "a paper tiger" and that the accord is still being negotiated behind Europeans' backs.

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EU publishes confidential papers to defend U.S. trade deal