Canada, EU race to persuade restive Walloons to abandon opposition to trade deal
OTTAWA — Canadian and European politicians are scrambling to save their coveted free trade agreement after a Belgian region voted Friday to reject the deal.
They are working into the weekend to persuade Belgium’s Walloons to abandon their opposition to the deal before a key meeting this coming Tuesday in Europe.
EU trade ministers meet then to vote on the pact, a week before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is to join his EU counterparts at a summit in Brussels, where the two sides are hoping to sign the deal.
Ministers from all 28 EU countries must unanimously approve the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement, or CETA, on Tuesday or it is effectively dead after seven long and sometimes controversial years of negotiation.