MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, the parliament of the French-speaking Belgian region of Wallonia blocked the ratification of the CETA free-trade agreement with the region's Prime Minister Paul Magnette stating that he would not give the federal government powers to sign the deal.
"Greenpeace welcomes the decision of the Walloon Parliament to maintain its opposition to CETA. This parliament truly defends its citizens, not the interests of lobbyists and corporations. This is a fundamental message sent to the European institutions," the director of Greenpeace Belgium, Vincent De Brouwer, was quoted as saying in a statement.
The deal threatens health and environmental standards and is contrary to the Paris Agreement on climate change, he added, expressing hope in the European Union taking heed of the Walloon vote.
"It is now up to the European institutions to listen to this signal and bury these dangerous treaties," De Brouwer said.
The agreement is expected to be signed during the next EU-Canada Summit on October 27-28, after which it will have to be ratified by the European Parliament and the European Council. The European Commission, pressured by France and Germany, has stated that the agreement will also have to be ratified by all 28 EU member states.
