29/04/24 (Agence Europe) – In February, the European Union and Canada agreed on new rules to simplify access to the dispute resolution mechanism in the EU/Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) (see EUROPE 13347/15). This includes a expedited procedure for resolving disputes, aimed in particular at SMEs. The Commission put this agreement into action by sending its proposal for a decision to the EU Council for approval on Friday 26 April. The CETA Joint Committee will then have to adopt the new rules. However, these provisions will not enter into force once adopted, as they form part of the ‘investment’ chapter of the agreement, which has not yet been applied until CETA is ratified on the European side. Seventeen EU Member States have ratified the agreement to date. In March, the French Senate rejected the CETA (see EUROPE 13376/31). See the proposal for a Council decision: https://aeur.eu/f/bzw (LM)