During a debate at the European Parliament plenary on Wednesday 26 October, the leaders of all the European Parliament’s political groups regretted, for different reasons, the blockages at the Council on the signing of the EU-Canada free-trade agreement (CETA) and on the plan to update the EU’s trade defence instruments (TDIs).
Opening the debate, the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, pointed out that the EU28’s leaders had decided to react to the growing challenges in public opinion with regard to the EU’s trade policy by making it more robust. "We drew a big red line between protection and protectionism. In this spirit, leaders committed to reaching an urgent agreement on the modernisation of all the EU's trade defence instruments. I know that this Parliament is ready to support this. We have now tasked our trade ministers with breaking the deadlock", he said.
On CETA, Tusk said he still hoped that "Belgium will prove that it is a consensus-building champion" by finalising an agreement "soon" between its federal government and federated entities in order to allow the signature of CETA. "If we cannot make the case for free trade with a country like Canada – the most European country outside Europe and a close friend and ally – there are obvious consequences for Europe's global position", he said. The president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said he hoped for settlement "in the course of the day", but underlined that finding a solution was more important than insisting on a signature of the agreement tomorrow.
Turning to the broader debate on trade defence, Juncker said the EU needed to strengthen its current instruments urgently. "The Americans defend their industry and especially their steel industry – we must do the same", he said.
The leader of the EPP Group, Germany’s Manfred Weber, regretted the paralysis at Council level on CETA and trade defence instruments: "On CETA, on trade defence instruments, on migration, the European Commission has put forward very good proposals. We in the European Parliament are capable of getting majorities to support these texts. It is the EU states that create blockages and splits and cannot stop squabbling. An overwhelming majority of EU states wanted CETA to be a mixed agreement, and now we see the result. The EU is blocking itself. For the EPP Group it is clear that European topics have to be dealt with in the European Parliament only", he said.
Wallonia’s position amounts to a request for clarification, said the leader of the S&D Group, Italy’s Gianni Pitella, stating that he stood united with those asking for clarification to be reached over the coming hours, which can then lead to signature of the most progressive trade deal the EU has been able to sign. He said there was not any ideological position that was anti-CETA among the Walloons, but rather a positive and constructive request for explanation, and he regretted the vetoing of the EU’s decision-making process.
The head of the ECR Group, the United Kingdom’s Syed Kamall, asked: "Why does a trade agreement like CETA fail at the last hurdle? The ECR is asking if the EU cannot even reach an agreement with a country such as Canada – a country with similar environmental and labour standards – what hope do we have for telling the rest of the world that the EU is open for business? And why could the 28 leaders not make progress? Because there is a fundamental disconnect between EU leaders and the people they represent".
On behalf of the ALDE Group, Dutch MEP Sophie in 't Veld said: "Europe will become irrelevant if Tusk does not end paralysis in the Council. CETA is being held hostage for purely domestic political reasons. The credibility of the European Union has been severely damaged. The winners of this episode are not the Walloon farmers or manufacturers. The winners are China and Russia. They will get to set the standards, not Europe".
On behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Cypriot MEP Neoklis Sylikiotis regretted that despite the people’s opposition, the EU is trying to reintroduce TTIP (the EU-USA free-trade deal) through the back door using CETA, and he welcomed Wallonia’s position of rejecting ultimatums and expressing the opposition of hundreds of thousands of European citizens to CETA.
Head of the Greens/EFA Group, Belgium’s Philippe Lamberts, said that ‘no’ to CETA was ‘yes’ to citizens’ Europe, and Wallonia’s ‘no’ to CETA made it possible to take a new look at trade deals designed according to the dogma of the right for a minority to profit and for the interests of companies and shareholders to prevail over the general interest. The EU’s trade policy will now have to be subject to the social, environment and health standards appropriate for any advanced democracy and be based on transparency and permanent control by elected officials, he insisted.
The head of the ENF Group, France’s Marine Le Pen, welcomed the Walloon veto on a treaty drawn up in utmost secrecy that is not in people’s interests. Quoting a study that expects the deal to lead to the destruction of 200,000 jobs in Europe and lower growth, wages and citizens’ rights, she regretted that Walloons were the only ones to have expressed themselves.
Donald Tusk defends mixed nature of CETA. "Many in this house have suggested that we should simply ignore the views of the national parliaments on trade agreements. The debate in Belgium and Wallonia's resistance does not result from the belief that the competences of EU institutions regarding trade policy are too limited. Today, people would prefer the states and national parliaments to have a bigger influence on the course of things, not smaller (...) No one will change the fact that the EU is still the Union of states and not institutions", Tusk said at the end of the debate.
"The fears and concerns, for example on private arbitration, must be addressed and they are being addressed and explained now. I trust that after today's talks in Belgium, the climate around CETA, and maybe around future free trade agreements, will change for the better", Tusk added. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)