EU-Canada trade deal falls apart after veto from ONE REGIONAL government
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has suffered a humiliating set-back in its attempts to secure the CETA trade deal with Canada after a regional Belgian parliament overruled the entire 28-
country bloc.
By Joey Millar
PUBLISHED: 09:14, Fri, Oct 14, 2016 | UPDATED: 10:26, Fri, Oct 14, 2016
Brussels is fuming after the Federation of Wallonia-Brussels, a parliament for Belgium’s French-speakers, voted last night to reject the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
(CETA).
The brutal shutdown highlights the fragility of the EU’s ability to boost world trade.
Christoph Leitl of the business alliance Global Chamber Platform said: “It’s crazy. If we allow a regional parliament to block a trade deal that will benefit the whole EU, where does this
lead us to?”
Signatures from all 28 EU states were required ahead of this month’s EU-Canada summit for the deal to go ahead.
However, under Belgium’s unusual system, lawmakers had to gain the approval from all five of its regional governments - including Wallonia-Brussels, which rejected CETA over concerns about public services and agriculture.
This block has met a furious response from both Canada and the European Commission, who are now scrambling to regain authority.
The blocked deal may set warning bells ringing for Theresa May who is hoping to secure a similar deal.
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