Brussels | Reuters –– The European Union and Canada will hold a summit to sign their free trade deal on Sunday, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Friday, after Belgium had cleared the agreement with its regional governments. “Mission accomplished! Just agreed with PM @JustinTrudeau to hold EU Canada Summit this Sunday,” Tusk said […] Read more
EU, Canada to hold trade summit Sunday
Belgium’s Walloon parliament backs EU-Canada trade deal
Brussels | Reuters — The parliament of Belgium’s French-speaking region of Wallonia voted in favour of a planned EU-Canada trade agreement on Friday, ending its opposition that threatened to destroy the entire deal. Lawmakers of Wallonia, which led Belgian opposition to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), 58 voted for and five against, after […] Read more
Belgium breaks deadlock over EU-Canada trade pact
Brussels | Reuters — Belgium agreed a deal with its regional parliaments on Thursday to approve a landmark EU-Canada free trade agreement, breaking a deadlock that has blocked the pact for weeks. Prime Minister Charles Michel said the heads of the regions had drawn up an addendum to the agreement that answered their concerns over […] Read more
Belgians struggle to agree on text to save CETA
Brussels | Reuters –– Belgian politicians failed to break their deadlock over a planned EU-Canada free trade agreement on Wednesday, but agreed to resume talks on Thursday in a sign they may be nearing a consensus that would keep the deal alive. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), seven years in the making, is backed […] Read more
Court may help EU sidestep lone-wolf resistance to trade deals
Brussels | Reuters — A court ruling early next year may help the European Union out of the kind of embarrassing situation it has just landed in, where a regional assembly in Belgium is blocking a major trade agreement between Canada and the 28 sovereign states of the EU. Belgian negotiators failed on Tuesday to […] Read more
Belgian internal feud blocks EU-Canada trade deal
Brussels | Reuters — The European Union’s hopes of signing a landmark free trade deal with Canada this week appeared to evaporate on Monday as the Belgian federal government failed to win the consent of French-speaking regional authorities. European Council President Donald Tusk had given Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel until Monday, three days before […] Read more
Canada says up to EU to save free trade deal
Brussels | Reuters — Canada said on Saturday it was up to the European Union to save a free trade deal that could boost both economies but that cannot be signed as planned next week due to opposition from Belgium’s French-speaking region. The Walloon government was awaiting new proposals from the European Commission, according to […] Read more
Canada walks out of trade talks with ‘incapable’ EU
Brussels | Reuters — Canada’s trade minister walked out of talks in Belgium on Friday, declaring that the European Union was incapable of sealing a planned transatlantic free trade deal designed to boost growth in both economies. All 28 EU governments support the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), but Belgium cannot give assent without […] Read more
Belgian region sticks to firm ‘Non’ on CETA
Brussels | Reuters — The Belgian region of Wallonia rejected new amendments to a planned EU-Canada free trade agreement on Thursday, reaffirming its opposition and so threatening the entire deal, a flagship of European Union trade policy. All 28 EU governments support the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), but Belgium cannot give assent without […] Read more
EU calls meeting to try to unblock Canada trade deal
Brussels | Reuters — The European Union summoned envoys from its member states to an emergency meeting in Brussels at 8 p.m. local time on Thursday to seek a last-minute resolution to Belgian difficulties holding up a trade deal with Canada, diplomats said. All 28 EU governments support the planned Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement […] Read more
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