[Cherie]

The trade deal which has been 7 year in the making is being blocked by one small area in Belgium ..Wallonia

International trade
Belgium given EU ultimatum to secure Canada trade deal, but Wallonia defiant
Socialist-run region says the deadline is ‘not compatible with democracy’ as federal government faces pressure to bring province into line

Demonstrators protest against Ceta outside the EU headquarters in Brussels. They claim the deal gives too much power to corporations. Photograph: Francois Lenoir/Reuters
Staff and agencies
Monday 24 October 2016 01.34 BST

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The European Union has given Belgium’s federal government until late on Monday to secure backing for an EU-Canada trade deal from the region of Wallonia or a planned summit to sign the pact will be cancelled.

European Council president Donald Tusk, who chairs the collective body of the EU’s 28 national leaders, will speak to Belgian prime minister Charles Michel by late on Monday, an EU source told Reuters, so that Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau can decide whether to fly to Brussels for the signing on Thursday.

If Michel cannot assure Tusk that Belgium will be able to let the EU sign the Ceta agreement, then Thursday’s EU-Canada summit will be postponed.

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No new date will be set, although the source said neither the EU nor Canada was willing to give up on a free trade pact that has been years in the making.

But Paul Magnette, the leader of the Wallonia region, told the Belga news agency on Sunday that the ultimatum from the EU “is not compatible with the exercise of democratic rights”. Belgium’s federal government cannot agree to the deal without the consent of five regional authorities, including French-speaking Wallonia.

Magnette, a Socialist, says the deal is bad for Europe’s farmers and gives too much power to global corporate interests.

Magnette hit out at the EU, despite efforts by the bloc to provide reassurances to his government over investment protection – one of the major sticking points in negotiations between Brussels and Wallonia. One European diplomat said that the reassurances “responded to all of Mr Magnette’s concerns”.

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Tusk was expected to call Michel on Monday, a source told Agence France-Presse, and ask “one simple question: will Belgium be in a position to sign the agreement on Thursday, yes or no?”.

Tusk will also call European Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, “to share an assessment of where we are,” and also Trudeau.

“Regarding Thursday, if Belgium is not in a position to say that they guarantee they can sign, it’s very clear for Tusk that it doesn’t make sense to have a summit, and there will be no summit, and there will be no date set for a new summit,” the source said. Any decision would be made jointly by Tusk and Trudeau.

Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s trade minister, flew home from Brussels on Saturday saying the ball was in the EU’s court after talks on Friday failed to overcome the differences.

The CETA – or comprehensive economic and trade agreement – would link the EU market of 500 million people with the world’s tenth biggest economy.

The deal is opposed by anti-globalisation groups who say it is a test model to push through an even more controversial EU-US trade agreement called TTIP, talks on which have also stalled.

Sebastian Dullien, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, criticised the commission for its role in the failure of negotiators to secure an agreement on the deal.

“The European Commission carries part of the blame because it didn’t quickly seek a dialogue with doubters. And for this type of deal, you need a large consensus,” he said.


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Wallonia has some support for its position elsewhere in Europe.

On Saturday, 8,000 people including young people, farmers, union leaders and entrepreneurs joined a rally in Amsterdam in a show of solidarity, organisers said.

They held banners saying “Our world is not for sale” and “Stop these bad trade treaties”.

Wallonia has also enjoyed support from activist groups like Greenpeace which charged that the deal risked satisfying “corporate greed” and trampling on people’s rights and health standards on both sides of the Atlantic.

British prime minister Theresa May on Friday dismissed warnings that the EU-Canada deal raised serious questions about whether London could strike a similar agreement with the bloc after Brexit.

Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.

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[Mokka]

Canada is getting the better end of the deal...and it is being heavily promoted as a massive positive for us. But I can see why the EU would have several points against it. I can't say I blame them.

[UserSince2005]

let hope this is a huge fail. for britains sake.

[Marsh.]

Cut Canada off.

[Mokka]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Cut Canada off.

Why do I feel like this thread is going to end in a perma ban for all Canadians on this site

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by Mokka

Canada is getting the better end of the deal...and it is being heavily promoted as a massive positive for us. But I can see why the EU would have several points against it. I can't say I blame them.

All 28 EU countries support the deal though, even the Belgian government wants to approve it but can't because of this one small region of their country. It's a crazy situation and I feel for both the Canadian and European negotiators who have put years of hard work into this deal. I agree with the Canadian trade minister when she said 'it seems obvious that the EU is now not capable of having an international agreement, even with a country that shares European values such as Canada'. On the one hand it shows how dysfunctional the EU can be, on the other it shows how hard it might be for us to get a new deal with the EU.

[Kizzy]

Is this CETA? Good I hope it stays blocked.
Well done Wallonia, the mouse that roared.

[UserSince2005]

Originally Posted by MTVN

All 28 EU countries support the deal though, even the Belgian government wants to approve it but can't because of this one small region of their country. It's a crazy situation and I feel for both the Canadian and European negotiators who have put years of hard work into this deal. I agree with the Canadian trade minister when she said 'it seems obvious that the EU is now not capable of having an international agreement, even with a country that shares European values such as Canada'. On the one hand it shows how dysfunctional the EU can be, on the other it shows how hard it might be for us to get a new deal with the EU.

I love how everyone keeps calling Wallonia a small region of Belgium!

It's 55% of Belgium by area and 30% by population.

The media is lying to you!!!

Hiding the truth!!!

Question the lie!!!!!!

[Mokka]

Originally Posted by MTVN

All 28 EU countries support the deal though, even the Belgian government wants to approve it but can't because of this one small region of their country. It's a crazy situation and I feel for both the Canadian and European negotiators who have put years of hard work into this deal. I agree with the Canadian trade minister when she said 'it seems obvious that the EU is now not capable of having an international agreement, even with a country that shares European values such as Canada'. On the one hand it shows how dysfunctional the EU can be, on the other it shows how hard it might be for us to get a new deal with the EU.

We don't share your values though...that is a strange misconception you have. In agriculture, your country has been staunch on keeping Canadian canola out...and rightfully so imo. It has ruined farming for us here.
I think Brexit was the beginning of the end of big trade deals... sign of the times and all that. The question is now, what happens going forward

[Shaun]

I saw a clip of a Canadian politician on the verge of tears over this and it made my heart ache.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by UserSince2005

I love how everyone keeps calling Wallonia a small region of Belgium!

It's 55% of Belgium by area and 30% by population.

The media is lying to you!!!

Hiding the truth!!!

Question the lie!!!!!!

Small area as in relation to the Europen area as a whole

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Small area as in relation to the Europen area as a whole

That's not the point though is it? Everyone has to be in agreement, that's democracy... if you start making up the rules as you go along bullying to get your way that's Mayocracy.

[Mokka]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Small area as in relation to the Europen area as a whole

Isn't the population over 3 million??
That is more people than living in my province.... or the neighboring one put together.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Mokka

Isn't the population over 3 million??
That is more people than living in my province.... or the neighboring one put together.

Well it's still small potatoes in relation to the rest of Europe, whatever the little guy wants is not important #scotland #brexit

[joeysteele]

This may be on the surface just a small part of an EU Nation against the deal, however this is the major thing as to trade deals with the EU.
All the member Countries have to agree same with whichever Nation it is proposed to trade with.
Since Belgium has this problem within its own Nation as to accepting this deal, that means Belgium has to withhold agreement.

All Nations in the EU have to agree and support deals and I can easily see problems from some areas as to any future proposed deals with the UK probably too.

[arista]

Belgium - a nation split
the french speaking side
the trouble makers

[Mokka]

Originally Posted by arista

Belgium - a nation split
the french speaking side
the trouble makers

Well then they should love Canada....

Hey, have you met Quebec??

[Northern Monkey]

Thank feck we're out of it.We don't need Belgium holding us back.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

Thank feck we're out of it.We don't need Belgium holding us back.

We're not out of it yet...hehehe.

[bitontheslide]

It was Belgium the nation and EU member state that stopped the trade deal, not some minority. The country took that decision, a region within Belgium has no direct say on EU policy.

Don't see what all the fuss is about, that's the rules of the EU that all member states signed up to

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

That's not the point though is it? Everyone has to be in agreement, that's democracy... if you start making up the rules as you go along bullying to get your way that's Mayocracy.

I never said otherwise? I was clarifying the use of the words small area

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Cherie

I never said otherwise? I was clarifying the use of the words small area

Ah just stating the obvious?...ok sorry then.

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by Mokka

We don't share your values though...that is a strange misconception you have. In agriculture, your country has been staunch on keeping Canadian canola out...and rightfully so imo. It has ruined farming for us here.
I think Brexit was the beginning of the end of big trade deals... sign of the times and all that. The question is now, what happens going forward

Well I was quoting your trade minister who was saying it was your country who shares European values so it must be a strange misconception on her part

[the truth]

This is about the 10000000000th example of why the EU is a complete and utter unworkable disaster

[bitontheslide]

Seems the issues are now resolved and the deal will be signed.