"With today's ruling the Second Senate of the Federal Constitutional Court rejected numerous appeals against the decision to authorize the German delegate in the Council of the European Union to sign… CETA," the press release reads.
However, the ruling also provides certain conditions for approval of the accord by Berlin, including CETA application limited to the EU scope, democratic accountability of the decisions passed by the mixed CETA commission and Germany's possible unilateral withdrawal from the treaty, the press release added.
CETA aims to establish a free trade zone between Canada and the European Union. In 2013, Ottawa and Brussels reached an agreement on key elements of the deal. European critics of CETA claim it would undermine standards and regulations on environmental protection, health and safety and workers' rights.
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 Council of the European Union. The European Commission, facing pressure from Paris and Berlin, has stated that the agreement will also have to be ratified by all 28 EU member states.
