The Commission and the Slovak Presidency of the EU will continue their intense negotiations right up until the European Council with the Belgian federal entities which are blocking approval by the Belgian government of signature by the EU of the EU-Canada free-trade agreement (CETA) and still hope that the agreement will be signed at the bilateral summit in Brussels on 27 October. The announcement was made by Slovak Economy Minister Peter Ziga and European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström following the meeting of EU trade ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday 18 October.
“We are coming close to the clear goal of signing CETA next week. Following this meeting, I can see that the member states agree on the substance. Consultations are still ongoing with Belgium, however, to find a solution”, Ziga said.
An “overwhelming majority” of member states supported signing CETA, a diplomatic source told EUROPE. Only Belgium and, for different reasons, Bulgaria and Romania have not been in a position to lift their reservations on the signing of CETA by the EU.
Not having the full power, which a number of entities of the Belgian federal system, including the Region of Wallonia and the Brussels-Wallonia Federation, refuse to grant him, Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders was unable to approve the signing on behalf of Belgium.
“I have come to confirm that the Belgian federal government backs CETA and that we are continuing to work with some regions in Belgium, in particular the Walloon Region, to address concerns by going through the treaty, the interpretative declaration and trying to see what more we can still do to persuade them. I hope that, between now and the European Council, things will be settled so that we can move forward”, Reynders said before the meeting.
“We have been working day and night in the last weeks … in order to make sure that all the delegations feel comfortable signing (CETA). The Commission has, together with the Presidency, worked on an interpretative declaration that will be attached to the CETA agreement, it will have a legal value. The intention of that is to highlight the best of CETA, so to say, making sure in a plain language that also our citizens who have voiced some concerns can understand, saying that there is nothing in CETA foreseen as to lower standards, that we are cooperating on sustainable development issues, that nothing in CETA will force any entity on any level to privatise public services”, said Malmström. “We are working the same way with the last country who has not been able to agree yet. The talks are intense and they continue”, she added. “The CETA will have economic benefits from day one, when it comes to public procurement, lowering tariffs, access to services, protection of geographical indications, sustainable development issues are being raised”, she stated.
“CETA is a very high level agreement: private tribunals will disappear, it will not be possible to privatise public services and, with regard to labour rights, the eight ILO conventions have been respected. It’s difficult to disagree with that”, opined Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn before the meeting. “Belgium has devolved powers to the regions and we have to respect that. We hope that, with the interpretative declaration, we will manage to convince our colleagues in the Belgian regional parliaments. So far, that would not seem that we have been able to do so. We will leave some time for reflection in Belgium”, he added.
Bulgaria and Romania, while awaiting written confirmation from Ottawa on resolution of the issue of liberalisation of the Canadian visa system for their nationals, have also maintained their reservations on the EU’s signing of CETA. “I hope that they will be able to lift them as quickly as possible”, said Ziga. All things considered, he says, he is “confident” that the member states “will come to a positive outcome within the agreed timeframe”. “CETA offers fresh possibilities in a time of globalisation while respecting European standards. It’s the most balanced, most ambitious agreement ever reached”, he stressed. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)