Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President of the European Council Donald Tusk (R) attend a working session at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, Turkey, November 15, 2015.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President of the European Council Donald Tusk (R) attend a working session at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, Turkey, November 15, 2015.
Photo Credit: Murad Sezer / Reuters

UPDATE: Canada-EU summit set to go ahead

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will travel to Brussels for a planned European Union-Canada summit despite the failure by Belgium’s federal government to sway the country’s French-speaking Wallonia region to support a landmark free trade deal, said Monday Canada’s International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland.

“I will be there with Mr Trudeau, absolutely,” Freeland said responding to a question in French.

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which would remove most of the tariffs and trade barriers between Canada and the EU is supposed to be signed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and EU officials at the summit in Brussels on Thursday.

But the free trade accord has run into strong opposition in southern French-speaking regions of Belgium.

“Canada is ready to sign CETA, but the ball is in Europe’s court and it’s time for Europe to do its job,” Freeland said. “Canada has said on many occasions, for us this is an excellent agreement, it is an agreement that we made substantially more progressive since we came into office.”

Belgians split
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel (L) and Premier of Wallonia Paul Magnette (R) are on the opposing sides of the political spectrum and CETA debate.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel (L) and Premier of Wallonia Paul Magnette (R) are on the opposing sides of the political spectrum and CETA debate. © NICOLAS MAETERLINCK

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said Monday following consultations with the country’s regions he was unable to support CETA.

While Belgium’s northern Dutch-speaking Flanders region and the country’s German-speaking community supported CETA, the regional parliament of the economically depressed Wallonia refused to budge.

“We cannot give a yes,” Paul Magnette, the premier of the Wallonia region, told reporters as he emerged. He said the main problems remained not with Ottawa, which has already agreed to modifications in the deal, but with the EU authorities.

Under Belgium’s complex constitution, all five regional governments must approve the trade deal before the federal government can give consent.

The European Commission, which has been negotiating CETA with the Canadian government on behalf of EU member states, said earlier Tuesday that efforts would continue beyond Monday, even if the decision is taken to postpone the summit.

A spokesperson for German Minister for Economic Affairs Sigmar Gabriel said they are working to “bring about a successful conclusion to CETA.”

Freeland refused to speculate on what would happen if EU and Belgian officials fail to convince recalcitrant Walloons to support CETA in time for the EU-Canada summit.

Right move to walk out

Freeland also defended her decision to walk out of last-minute talks with Belgian and EU officials on Friday.

“Our strong action had the desired results,” Freeland said. “Today all the Europeans, including the Walloons, have publicly accepted that Canada’s job is done.”

Freeland quoted President of the European Parliament Martin Schultz saying “it’s quite clear the problems on the table are European problems, there are still a few problems to be resolved within the EU.”

“Even Minister-President of Wallonia Paul Magnette echoed this saying today ‘negotiations with Canadians are over and we are pleased with the result of these negotiations,’” she added.

Freeland’s remarks came following a telephone conversation between Trudeau and European Council President Donald Tusk.

“Together with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, we think Thursday’s summit still possible,” Tusk wrote on Twitter. “We encourage all parties to find a solution. There’s yet time.”

‘A lesson to politicians and elites’

CETA supporters say it would increase trade between the partners by 20 percent and boost the EU economy by $17 billion a year and Canada’s by $12 billion, but opponents fear that the trade deal gives corporations undue power and weakens the ability of governments to set labour, consumer and environmental standards.

Walloons are also worried about the threat of surging pork and beef imports from Canada.

“This sounds like a David versus Goliath struggle, but it was not just Wallonia,” said Sujata Dey, Trade Campaigner with the Council of Canadians, a citizens’ advocacy group that opposes CETA.  “This is a representation of the many people who oppose this agreement, 3.5 million Europeans who signed a petition, 88 per cent of Austrians and more than 81 per cent of the French polled also oppose it.”

Citizens need to be part and parcel of the design of trade agreements, she said.

“This is a lesson to politicians and elites,” Dey said.

Officials have warned that a failure to conclude CETA would seriously undermine the EU’s ability to strike any future trade agreements and could have wider implications for the credibility of the bloc.

With files from Reuters

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