Roundup: Belgian gov't, regional authorities continue tough negotiation over CETA

The Belgian federal government and different regional authorities of the country ended a six-hour discussion on Tuesday without making any concrete progress on the troubled free trade pact between the European Union (EU) and Canada.

The talks were "particularly difficult," and will continue Wednesday, the local newspaper De Morgen reported, quoting an anonymous insider of the negotiation.

Paul Magnette, minister-president of the southern Belgian region of Wallonia that has been blocking the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), embarked on a new dialogue Tuesday afternoon with his Flemish counterpart Geert Bourgeois and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, in the hope of reaching an agreement on the deal.

Magnette defended Wallonia's position upon his arrival, saying that Wallonia is not against a trade agreement with Canada, but the "private arbitration" incorporated in the deal.

Magnette referred to an investor-state dispute settlement in CETA, which opponents fear that it could play in favor of foreign investors and undermine the interests and rights of local businesses and workers.

"We insist that disputes between companies and states must be resolved in public courts that can protect the public interest, the environment, social security and public services," said Magnette, reiterating that the region will neither accept any ultimatum given by the EU, nor make any decision under pressure.

Belgium is the only EU country that hasn't approved CETA, which puts the deal at risk as the EU cannot formally sign the agreement with Canada without unanimous approval from all member states.

The Belgian federal government cannot sign the deal without the consent of its regional authorities.

The Dutch-speaking Flanders and the German community are in support of the deal, while the Francophone Wallonia, the capital region of Brussels and the French community remain in steadfast opposition.

Supporters of the deal are concerned that a possible failure could jeopardise the prospects of other free trade agreements for the EU, and greatly damage the reputation of the bloc.

Although the negotiation is set to continue, many don't believe that such a consensus could be reached in the coming days, including European Parliament President Martin Schulz, who told German media earlier Tuesday that he did not expect the deal to be signed this week, and suggested that a EU-Canada summit scheduled for Thursday should be postponed.

CETA aims to establish a free trade zone between the EU and Canada, scrapping more than 98 percent of existing tariffs. Endit