Parliament rejects a request to refer CETA to the European Court of Justice

Abstract:

The European Parliament's plenary session rejected on 23 November 2016 a request by 89 MEPs to refer the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for an Opinion.

These MEPs had questioned whether the free trade deal's investor protection provisions were in line with the right of governments to regulate in order to achieve legitimate public policy aims.

The rejection paves the way for a vote on the agreement by the Parliament, scheduled to be held in December.

The Parliament's Legal Service had found no contradiction between CETA’s investment chapter and the EU Treaties when it assessed this issue in June 2016.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Stopping CETA and TTIP will not stop globalisation http://www.europeansources.info/record/stopping-ceta-and-ttip-will-not-stop-globalisation/

The Independent, 23.11.16: EU to vote on motion that could delay Canadian trade deal CETA ‘for years’ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/european-parliament-vote-could-delay-canada-trade-deal-ceta-a7433451.html

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