BRUSSELS, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Despite time running out before a scheduled EU-Canada summit on Oct. 27, trade ministers from European Union (EU) members failed on Tuesday to reach unanimity on approving the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a trade deal between the EU and Canada.
At an extraordinary trade council meeting in Luxembourg, EU trade ministers were expected to approve three draft decisions: provisional application, signature, and conclusion of CETA. Although all three documents are formally subject to a qualified majority vote, consensus will be required.
However, due to continued opposition from Belgium, the final decision has been pushed back to the European Council scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Brussels.
"Ministers expressed overwhelming support, with only one member state not being in a position to support the decision at this time," a statement released after the meeting said.
According to local media reports, Belgium refused to sign the deal due to the opposition of the regional government of Wallonia. The French-speaking area in southern Belgium fears local workers will be laid off if the agreement leads to cheaper farming and industrial imports.
Besides, Romania and Bulgaria also made their agreement conditional on the confirmation by Canada regarding the issue of visa reciprocity.
If no agreement is reached there, the EU-Canada summit will be cancelled, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom told a press conference following the meeting.
"The final decision will be taken by the European Council," she said. In the meantime, talks with the Belgian government will continue, she explained.
The EU leaders will meet for a two-day summit in Brussels later this week. Trade issues including the negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the ratification of the CETA top the agenda.
The EU-Canada free trade deal was reached in August 2014 after five years of negotiations, aiming to eliminate 98 percent of tariffs between the two sides. It has been opposed by various groups, including environmental activists, trade unionists and socialists. For all this, the European Commission and the Slovakian Presidency of the European Council pledged to continue to work for a full agreement as soon as possible.
"We should remember advantages of free trade. CETA is about new opportunities in the global era, while respecting European standards. It is a modern, balanced and most ambitious agreement to date," Slovak Economy Minister Peter Ziga said.
