EU Trade Ministers to Discuss Adopting Trade Deal With Canada on Tuesday

The EU trade ministers will meet on Tuesday to discuss the CETAc conditions at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The EU trade ministers will meet on Tuesday to discuss the approval and provisional application of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada (CETA) at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting.

"The Council will be called on to adopt a package of decisions on the comprehensive economic and trade agreement with Canada (CETA). These include decisions on conclusion of the agreement, signature and provisional application," the meeting's agenda said.

The EU trade ministers are also expected to adopt a joint declaration that will provide a binding interpretation of CETA's terms on specific issues, according to the event's agenda posted on the Council of the European Union's website.

CETA aims to establish a free trade zone between Canada and the European Union, scrapping more than 90 percent of the existing tariffs between Ottawa and Brussels. Opponents fear it would undermine standards and regulations on environmental protection, health, safety and workers' rights.

On October 14, the parliament of the French-speaking Belgian region of Wallonia refused to grant powers to the country’s government to sign CETA just two days after another regional assembly, the Federation of Wallonia-Brussels parliament, also voted against CETA.

In September, Germans and Belgians held demonstrations against the trade deal, with the French following suit in October.

To enter into force, the agreement needs the approval of all EU countries, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.