Wallonia is persuaded on trade agreement between EU and Canada
The Belgian region’s approval removes the last major obstacle for the EU and Canada to progress with one of the world’s most ambitious and far-reaching trade pacts
Brussels — Belgium reached a deal with the country’s southern region of Wallonia to approve a trade agreement between the EU and Canada, ending a deadlock that delayed the accord’s signature. The agreement is an "important step for EU and Canada", Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said in a post on Twitter on Thursday, adding that the nation’s regions will be able to formally approve the pact by the end of Friday. The approval removes the last major obstacle for the EU and Canada to move ahead with one of the world’s most ambitious and far-reaching trade pacts. The delay in concluding the deal raised concerns about the prospects of other agreements now under negotiation between the EU and the US and Japan, as well as an accord with the UK over its future relationship with the bloc. Belgium’s federal government had been unable to persuade the Wallonia regional parliament in the country’s French-speaking south to sign up to the proposed pact. The EU and Canada cancelled a summit p...
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