Belgian Federal, Regional Authorities Coordinating Preconditions to Sign CETA

The coordination of the last two preconditions preventing the European Union from signing the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada is at the final stage between Belgium's federal and regional authorities, local media reported Wednesday.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – According to Le Soir newspaper, Belgian region's seek inclusion of measures regarding the protection of the interests of European farmers and resolution of disputes in arbitration court in the deal with Canada. If this demands will be taken into account and formulated in a joint declaration, the regions will give the federal government mandate to sign the deal.

On Thursday, the 28-nation bloc and Ottawa are expected to sign CETA at the joint EU-Canada Summit. However, on Monday, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said the nation was "not in a position to sign CETA" amid concerns that the Walloon government, the Brussels government, the government of Federation Wallonia-Brussels and the French Community Commission had about the deal. Under the Belgian federal laws, every region has a right to reject the agreement.

Earlier in the day, the European Commission presented to the Belgian region of Wallonia new compromise proposals on CETA.

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.