CETA
deal postponed thanks to Wallonia!
Belgium
cannot sign a key EU trade deal with Canada, Prime Minister Charles
Michel has said, because of objections led by its Wallonia region.
Mr
Michel said talks with Wallonia and two other elected bodies had
failed.
His
comments appeared to dash hopes the Ceta deal could be signed on
Thursday but European Council President Donald Tusk said it was still
possible.
This
is the EU's most ambitious free trade deal to date but Belgium needs
its regions' approval to sign it.
[...]
Mr
Michel said he had told Mr Tusk that Belgium could not sign Ceta (the
acronym for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement).
The
other 27 EU governments want to sign the agreement, which has been in
the pipeline for seven years.
The
European Commission had set Belgium a Monday deadline to make its
decision on the deal.
[...]
For
the deal to pass, Belgium's federal, regional and community bodies
(seven in all) must give their approval.
Wallonia,
a staunchly socialist region of 3.6 million people, has led
objections to the deal, demanding stronger safeguards on labour,
environmental and consumer standards.
But
at talks with Mr Martin on Monday, it emerged that two other bodies,
Brussels and that of the French-speaking community, also opposed
Ceta.
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