Belgian regions set to block EU-Canada free trade deal
Source: Reuters
Southern Belgium is set to block a planned EU-Canada free trade agreement, threatening to undermine the EU's entire trade policy and serving as a warning to British hopes of a speedy deal after Britain has left the European Union.
EU trade ministers will vote in a week on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which requires unanimous support to enter force. Belgium's federal government favours the pact, but needs the backing of the country's three regions and linguistic communities to give its formal approval.
Lawmakers in French-speaking Wallonia, except Prime Minister Charles Michel's liberal MR, oppose CETA because they see it as a threat to farmers, through a flood of imported pork and beef, and public services and over its system of investor protection.
"We had hoped that the negotiators would have at least tried to find some improvements, some corrections for Belgium. Today that's hasn't happened," Andre Antoine, president of the Walloon regional parliament told Reuters. "We will probably have, though I will leave it for each to say, a rejection by Brussels, in Wallonia and likely too the German-speaking side. Simply put, the south of Belgium is not in favour," he added in a telephone conversation late on Monday.
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