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EU-Canada trade deal must pass before national parliaments: EU trade commissioner

Xinhua, July 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

A free trade agreement between the European Union and Canada is a "mixed agreement" and will be subject to consultation with national parliaments, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom told the European Parliament (EP) plenary session here Tuesday.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker had suggested last week bypassing national parliaments in the adoption of the trade deal, known as the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA). But Malmstrom announced at a press conference that the European Commission had decided to classify it as a "mixed" accord even if, legally, it remains a European agreement.

This means that CETA will at the same time be concluded with Canada by the Commission -- which negotiates and finalizes such international agreements -- and EU member states. National parliaments will have to give their approval, in addition to that of the EP.

The Commission's decision is a response to criticisms of Juncker, who was accused by some of wanting to push through the treaty after his statements last week.

Both Germany and France have expressed strong opposition to the approach advocated by Juncker. In Belgium, majorities in the French-speaking Walloon regional parliament and in the national parliament voted for a "resolution of distrust" in CETA.

Less known than the controversial free trade deal being negotiated between the United States and the EU -- the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) -- CETA has also faced growing opposition in the past year.

Faced with skeptical European public opinion, left-wing parties, environmentalists and populist movements accuse it of lacking transparency, and are alarmed at what they claim is a risk of degradation in public services. They are concerned at what they see as the dangers of "liberalization without limits," while the European Commission has said the economic potential of such a treaty for the EU is considerable.

Brussels should ratify CETA before the end of 2016, after the vote in the European Council and the EP. An EU-Canada summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is envisaged for October. Enditem