Statement by the European Commissioner for Trade and Canada’s Minister of International Trade

Abstract:

The European Commissioner for Trade and Canada's Minister of International Trade released on 18 September 2016 a joint statement on the progress regarding the signature and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

This statement was published as Germany's centre-left SPD sought and received its members' endorsement for the agreement, which had seen several sources of criticism across the European Union. Protests had been scheduled in several German cities against this and other trade deals, in particular the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

Member of Parliament in the Wallonia region of Belgium voted to prevent the federal government in Belgium voting for the CETA on the 14 October 2016. EU Ministers had been expected to vote for the agreement on the 18 October 2016 with a final signature with Canada planned for the 27 October 2016.

On the 22 October 2016 the President of the European Parliament met separately the federal Minister of International Trade of Canada and with the Minister-President of Wallonia on the issue of CETA.

President Schulz said: 'These meetings give me much reason for optimism about the positive conclusion of CETA as soon as possible.

The few remaining issues which stand in the way of the adoption of CETA are for us Europeans to solve. My meeting with Minister-President Magnette, ... confirmed that none of the stumbling blocks on the way of CETA’s adoption by Belgium are insurmountable. The contrary is true: this morning’s meeting already set out the next steps needed to give further clarity and legal certainty to meet the concerns raised by the Walloon Parliament and which are shared by many citizens in Europe'.

The challenges in securing EU Member State agreement to CETA and the anti-CETA and TTIP campaigns by many NGOs and citizens / consumers raised questions as to whether the overall EU trade policy was in crisis

• Primary Source

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