Bulgaria, Romania Veto EU's Free Trade Pacts With Partners: Canada, US

Following Beligium, Bulgaria and Romania may not adhere to the blocking EU decision on EU-US amd EU-Canada free trade pacts due to visa regime, a diplomatic source in Brussels said Thursday.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — Bulgaria and Romania may veto the EU decision on the bloc's free trade pacts with the United States and Canada due to visa regime, a diplomatic source in Brussels said Thursday.

"There are such talks within the power structures of Bulgaria and Romania because the United States and Canada keep the visa regime for the citizens of these [EU] countries," the source told RIA Novosti.

In 2013, the European Union and Canada reached the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), with the trade negotiating mandate was made public only in December 2015.

Another trade agreement, between the Europe Union and the United States, commonly known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), is currently being negotiated.

Both trade pacts, especially TTIP, sparked controversy and concern in the European Union over the extra secrecy surrounding the negotiations, and the power they would give to international corporations at the expense of small and medium-sized businesses.

Earlier in the day, the government of the French-speaking Belgian region of Wallonia refused to ratify CETA as the country's cabinet approved the pact.