Belgium still unable to sign off on CETA: PM

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has ruled out the possibility for Brussels to sign off on a trade deal between the European Union and Canada for the time being, saying his government has yet to handle opposition from regional authorities to the transcontinental agreement, known as CETA.

“We are not in a position to sign CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement),” Michel said Monday after he met with a number of Belgian regional leaders in Brussels.

The announcement came despite an EU deadline of late Monday which anticipated that Brussels would give a clear answer on its approach to the deal.

Michel said the main reason for Belgium’s opposition to CETA, at least at this stage, was the growing rejection of the deal in several main regional administrations of the country, including Wallonia in the south.

“The federal government, the German community and Flanders said 'yes.' Wallonia, the Brussels city government and the French community said 'no',” he said.

Following the Monday talks between regional leaders and the premier, Wallonia regional leader Paul Magnette said that he could not support the deal.

“Prime Minister told us that the head of the European Council Donald Tusk wanted an answer from us today, yes or no,” Magnette said, adding, “It is evident that in the current circumstances, we cannot give a 'yes' today.”

Michel said Brussels’ current objection to CETA would not mean that the deal was dead, adding that he and the government were still open to dialogue with leaders of the French-speaking community in Wallonia.

SS