Saving CETA - emergency meetings held in Brussels

[rooster59]

Saving CETA - emergency meetings held in Brussels

Catherine Hardy

 

 

Emergency meetings are being held in Brussels to try and pull a landmark EU free trade deal back from the brink of collapse.

 

Canada’s trade minister says it is up to the EU to save the CETA deal. It is being blocked by opposition from Belgium’s French-speaking region, Wallonia.

 

The minister quit talks on Friday with chief Canadian and EU trade negotiators and Walloon premier Paul Magnette.

 

What is the CETA deal?

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) deal, the EU’s first with a G7 country, is due to be signed next Thursday.

 

It will lift tariffs from a large amount of goods between Canada and EU member states.

 

Supporters say it will increase trade between the partners by 20%.

 

What has Chrystia Freeland said?

Canada’s trade minister described reaching a deal with the EU as “impossible”.

 

Canada is ready to sign the pact, she added, and negotiations on its finer points are over.

 

“We have done our job. We have finished negotiating a very good agreement. Now the ball is in Europe’s court,” Freeland said after meeting EU parliament president Martin Schulz.

 

“I hope I can return in the next few days with my prime minister to sign the treaty as planned.”

 

What has Paul Magnette said?

Wallonia’s minister-president says his discussions with Canada have concluded and the remaining issues to be worked out are for the EU executive to address.

 

“We have still some little difficulties among Europeans. We won’t hide that so we still have to work and discuss for a certain amount of time.”

 

“I’m not here to make problems. On the contrary, I am here to make sure we have treaties which include an element of social, environmental and public service protection and which have the highest level of judicial guarantee in the world.”

 

What has Martin Schulz said?

The EU parliament president is not directly involved in the CETA talks.

 

However, he is described as having “good working ties” with Freeland and has held an emergency meeting with Paul Magnette in a bid to revive the deal.

“The door for every step forward is open but it is quite clear that the problems on the table are European problems,” Schulz said.

 

“In my mind, there’s no problem we can’t solve. I’m very optimistic we’re going to find a solution for CETA that is going to make the project better. It is already a very, very good agreement.”

 

What has the EU Commission said?

 

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said she still hoped to find a solution to the deal.

 

It is due to be signed at a summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau next Thursday.

 

The background

 

All 28 EU governments support the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

 

However, Belgium cannot give assent without backing from its five sub-federal administrations.

 

Wallonia, one of them, has steadfastly opposed it.

 

Wallonia

Home to 3.5 million people

• Less than 1% of the EU’s 507 million citizens

 

The EU’s flagship trade project rests on the will of the tiny region’s government.

 

Walloons have concerns about the threat of surging pork and beef imports from Canada.

 

There is also a question mark about an independent court system to settle disputes between states and foreign investors, which critics fear hands power to multinationals.

 

More than just a trade deal

Analysts say if CETA fails, the EU’s hopes of completing similar deals with the US (TTIP) or Japan will be in tatters.

 

The concern is the debacle is undermining the bloc, already battered by Britain’s vote to leave and disputes over Europe’s migration crisis.

 

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-10-23

 

[Grouse]

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/if-youre-worried-about-ttip-then-you-need-to-know-about-ceta-a6671886.html

 

This is worth a read. Maybe this is not a good deal? Surprised it got through 7 years of discussion with these big business issues still in place. I'm sure the Walloons are just wanting to protect their farmers but these issues relating to big business are worrying.

[CharlieK]

2 hours ago, Grouse said:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/if-youre-worried-about-ttip-then-you-need-to-know-about-ceta-a6671886.html

 

This is worth a read. Maybe this is not a good deal? Surprised it got through 7 years of discussion with these big business issues still in place. I'm sure the Walloons are just wanting to protect their farmers but these issues relating to big business are worrying.

 

whether you are for or against the deal, doesn't it show just how weak the EU are when it comes to negotiating trade deals. Simply for seeming to bend over and take it where the sun don't shine, in order to get the deal. Which they still can't sign? 7 years!

 

Total incompetence. Hurray for the walloons. lol

[Grouse]

The irony is that the EU only recently increased the democratic clout of individual states in matters of trade. Previously, the Walloon farmers would have had to go with majority!

[Baerboxer]

2 hours ago, Grouse said:

The irony is that the EU only recently increased the democratic clout of individual states in matters of trade. Previously, the Walloon farmers would have had to go with majority!

 

Quite frankly Belgium is a joke of a country. Remember they couldn't even elect a government for sometime. You know when you leave Netherlands and enter Belgium when you see lots of men pissing by the roadside less than 20 mts from the services. Here one part of one member country is holding the other 99.something % members to ransom to protect its own subsidized inefficient farmers. Copying their French friends. 

 

Wonder if  EU Commission mouth piece Luxembourg will demand that Belgium be suspended or expelled from the EU for voting against EU Commission dictates like they did with Hungary. Or doesn't that apply to their "friends"? 

[Grouse]

8 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Quite frankly Belgium is a joke of a country. Remember they couldn't even elect a government for sometime. You know when you leave Netherlands and enter Belgium when you see lots of men pissing by the roadside less than 20 mts from the services. Here one part of one member country is holding the other 99.something % members to ransom to protect its own subsidized inefficient farmers. Copying their French friends. 

 

Wonder if  EU Commission mouth piece Luxembourg will demand that Belgium be suspended or expelled from the EU for voting against EU Commission dictates like they did with Hungary. Or doesn't that apply to their "friends"? 

 

But do you not see the delicious irony? One of the main reason for leaving the EU was inadequate democracy. Countries had to do what they were told. It makes me snigger! 

[Krataiboy]

There are clearly enormous problems with these supposed "free trade" deals, which need to be thoroughly publicly discussed and debated before anyone signs up.

 

https://stop-ttip.org/what-is-the-problem-ttip-ceta/

 

 

 

 

 

[ilostmypassword]

23 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Quite frankly Belgium is a joke of a country. Remember they couldn't even elect a government for sometime. You know when you leave Netherlands and enter Belgium when you see lots of men pissing by the roadside less than 20 mts from the services. Here one part of one member country is holding the other 99.something % members to ransom to protect its own subsidized inefficient farmers. Copying their French friends. 

 

Wonder if  EU Commission mouth piece Luxembourg will demand that Belgium be suspended or expelled from the EU for voting against EU Commission dictates like they did with Hungary. Or doesn't that apply to their "friends"? 

Don't you get it? The EU just a few months ago gave individual nations the right to reject treaties. Those power mad bureaucrats in Brussels!