Belgians reach deal on EU-Canada free trade agreement

Record ID: 83716

  • Title: Belgians reach deal on EU-Canada free trade agreement
  • Date: 27th October 2016
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (OCTOBER 27, 2016) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** THE 'LAMBERMONT', THE OFFICIAL RESIDENCE OF BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER, CHARLES MICHEL BELGIAN FLAG BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER, CHARLES MICHEL, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING) PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURES OF MICHEL AND BELGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, DIDER REYNDERS (AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING) (SOUNDBITE) (French) BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER, CHARLES MICHEL, SAYING: (AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING) "The consultation committee just reached an agreement about the texts that reflects the Belgian position and that is immediately being addressed to the European Commission and the (European) Council. In the coming minutes, I will be talking to Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Council President Donald Tusk. A conversation with the Canadian Prime Minister (Justin Trudeau) is also scheduled for today." JOURNALISTS / MINISTER-PRESIDENT OF THE WALLOON GOVERNMENT, PAUL MAGNETTE, STEPPING OUT OF LAMBERMONT (SOUNDBITE) (French) MINISTER-PRESIDENT OF THE WALLOON GOVERNMENT, PAUL MAGNETTE, SAYING: "After long negotiations, we finally reached an agreement between Belgians that will be submitted to the European institutions and to our European partners. Wallonia is extremely happy that its demands were heard. We always fought for treaties that strengthen social, environmental norms and protect public services, and against private arbitration (mechanism) but only entirely public jurisdictions that provide all the jurisdictional guaranties. We have been heard and all this will now be acquired." CARS PASSING OUTSIDE LAMBERMONT FENCE AND SECURITY CAMERA
  • Embargoed: 11th November 2016 11:38
  • Keywords: Belgium EU Canada CETA trade European Union Trudeau Wallonia agreement
  • Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
  • City: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Government/Politics,International Trade
  • Reuters ID: LVA00155S6IPZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: PLEASE NOTE PART AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING
    Belgian politicians broke weeks of deadlock on Thursday (October 27) to pave the way for a landmark EU-Canada free trade agreement, which is supported by all other EU governments and promises to boost jobs and growth.
    Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel expressed satisfaction the heads of Belgium's regions and linguistic communities had produced a common text that allays concerns about agricultural imports and a contentious system to protect foreign investors.
    "The consultation committee just reached an agreement about the texts that reflects the Belgian position and that is immediately being addressed to the European Commission and the (European) Council. In the coming minutes, I will be talking to Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Council President Donald Tusk. A conversation with the Canadian Prime Minister (Justin Trudeau) is also scheduled for today," Michel told reporters.
    Michel said Belgium's various sub-federal parliaments would be given until the end of Friday to approve the text.
    Paul Magnette, Socialist premier of the Walloon region who has led opposition to the deal, said the deal would first have to be put to the representatives of the other 27 EU members for approval.
    "After long negotiations, we finally reached an agreement between Belgians that will be submitted to the European institutions and to our European partners. Wallonia is extremely happy that its demands were heard. We always fought for treaties that strengthen social, environmental norms and protect public services, and against private arbitration (mechanism) but only entirely public jurisdictions that provide all the jurisdictional guaranties. We have been heard and all this will now be acquired," Magnette said.
    European Council president Donald Tusk, who chairs EU leaders summits, said he was glad to hear the good news from the Belgian prime minister.
    "Only once all procedures are finalised for EU signing CETA, will I contact PM @JustinTrudeau," he said in a tweet.
    Failure to find a breakthrough on Wednesday evening prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to call off plans to fly to Brussels for a summit at which the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was to have been signed.
    The EU postponed Thursday's EU-Canada summit, but did not set a new date.
    CETA, seven years in the making, is backed by all other EU countries, but its rejection by the French-speaking south of Belgium meant federal Belgium as a whole could not sign it.
    Failure to strike a deal with such a like-minded country as Canada would have called into question the EU's ability to forge other deals and damage credibility already battered by Britain's vote to leave the bloc and disputes over the migration crisis.
    Canada's trade minister Chrystia Freeland, who walked out of talks in Walloon capital Namur last Friday, had asked, if the EU could not do a deal with Canada, who could do a deal with.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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