Brussels, 14/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 14 April, the minister-president of the Walloon government, Paul Magnette, told the Walloon Parliament that the Walloon regional government is not ready to give full rein to the Belgian federal government to ratify the EU-Canada free trade agreement (CETA) before certain guarantees can be provided on the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism and on other red lines set out by the Walloon Parliament.
“Until we have all the guarantees, it will not be possible for us to ratify such a text, and nor is it possible to give full rein to the minister of foreign affairs” (Ed: of Belgium), Magnette stated in a parliamentary committee debate on a proposal for a resolution carried by the PS, CdH and Ecolo parties, according to Belgian news agency Belga.
This draft resolution, which is due to be put to the vote on 27 April, requires an opinion of the Court of Justice of the EU on the compatibility of the CETA with the European treaties. It also calls for the refusal to implement the CETA provisionally before the national ratification procedures are completed.
In addition, it reiterates the red lines set out on the ongoing TTIP negotiations between the EU and the USA, including the cultural exception, the agricultural exception, the exclusion of public services, and social and environmental clauses. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)