Political concerns delay agreement on CETA | WPN World People News

CETA, a controversial EU-Canada trade deal, has suffered another major political setback on October 18, as EU ministers did not agree on its ratification at a meeting in Luxembourg. As the meeting got underway on Tuesday morning, Greenpeace climbers and activists joined other NGOs and trade unions from across Europe to protest against the deal.

Commenting on the ongoing disagreements over CETA, Greenpeace EU trade policy adviser Shira Stanton said: “Public opposition to dangerous trade deals has sent a shockwave through the corridors of power. After years of secret negotiations and last-minute declarations to paper over the cracks, it’s no surprise that CETA does not have unanimous political support. The disagreements among ministers show how out of touch most of them are with their citizens. It’s time to hit the reset button and put people, health and environmental protection at the heart of trade policy.”

If the ministers agree, CETA would provisionally come into force after the approval of the European Parliament - a vote is scheduled for late 2016 or early 2017. However, ministers are expected to exclude a controversial investment protection system - known as ICS - from provisional application. However, ICS could come into force after ratification by national and regional EU parliaments.

Despite these continued uncertainties, the EU and Canada are still aiming to sign CETA at a summit in Brussels on 27 October.

Source: Greenpeace EU Unit