BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — Brussels and Ottawa are expected to sign the free trade deal at the joint EU-Canada Summit on Thursday but there are concerns regarding the holding of the summit, after Belgium’s region of Wallonia rejected to give the country its approval to sign the deal. Under the Belgian federal laws, every region has a right to reject the agreement. At the same time, the officials from both the European Union and Canada have expressed hope for a consensus on the issue.
"When it comes to CETA, the EU is still not ready to sign the agreement with Canada… If we cannot make the case for free trade with a country like Canada — the most European country outside Europe and a close friend and ally — there are obvious consequences for Europe's global position. But it is too early to go there yet. As we speak, the summit tomorrow is still possible," Tusk said in a report to the European Parliament.
CETA aims to establish a free trade zone between Canada and the 28-nation bloc, scrapping the majority of the existing tariffs between the two sides. Opponents fear it would undermine standards and regulations on environmental protection, health, safety and workers' rights.
