Canada-European Union: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA): France may block EU-Canada trade deal over ISDS

Further information:

France's Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, stated on 29 June 2015 that the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the European Union and Canada was unlikely to be ratified in France unless significant changes are made to its investor-state dispute settlement mechanism (ISDS).

The European Union and Canada signed the free-trade deal at the end of 2013, but it must be ratified by the EU's member states before coming into force in 2018.

France and other European countries have expressed concern over the risk that the private arbitration tribunals foreseen under ISDS would allow multinationals to challenge the policies of democratically elected governments.

News sources reported in December 2015 that Canada’s new government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was pushing the EU to move faster on the delayed trade deal, including a potential compromise on the key sticking point holding the deal up.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Oh, Canada: Surprise loser in US-EU trade deal http://www.europeansources.info/record/oh-canada-surprise-loser-in-us-eu-trade-deal/

ESO: Background information: The Missing Link: Direct Effect, CETA/TTIP and Investor-State Dispute Settlement http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-missing-link-direct-effect-ceta-ttip-and-investor-state-dispute-settlement/

EurActiv, 03.07.15: Pittella: ISDS is dead, EU-Canada trade deal must be reopened http://www.euractiv.com/sections/trade-society/pittella-isds-dead-eu-canada-trade-deal-must-be-reopened-315977

Politico, 09.12.15: Canada’s fresh push for EU trade deal http://www.politico.eu/article/canada-trade-deal-ttip-ceta-malmstrom-trudeau/

EU: EEAS: Canada http://eeas.europa.eu/canada/index_en.htm

European Commission: DG Trade: Policy: Countries and Regions: Canada http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/canada/

European Commission: DG Trade: Policy: Comprehensive Trade and Economic Agreement (CETA) http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/ceta/

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