Eyes on CETA Ratification Ahead of EU Trade Committee Vote

Efforts to ratify an EU-Canada trade deal have seen progress in Europe, with the agreement receiving the backing of the European Parliament’s environment, public health, and food safety (ENVI) committee last week. The 12 January vote featured 40 lawmakers in favour, 24 against, and one abstaining. While the ENVI committee’s vote is non-binding, its opinion is meant to help inform the process going forward. Another European Parliament committee which focuses on employment and social affairs (EMPI) voted against CETA in early December, reportedly citing concerns over potentially negative implications for jobs, though that vote was similarly non-binding. The European Parliament’s international trade committee (INTA) is due to meet from 23-24 January, with a vote on the subject due on the second day of those discussions. The accord must make its way through INTA before reaching the full European Parliament plenary, with the 751-member legislative body then expected to vote on CETA next month. Meanwhile, Germany’s constitutional court issued a ruling last week which confirmed that the country’s government has taken the necessary steps to allow for CETA’s signing and provisional application – countering claims raised by some domestic opponents of the deal. Across the Atlantic, the trade deal and its...