CETA Clears Ratification Hurdle with EU Parliament Trade Committee Backing

The proposed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a free trade agreement negotiated between Canada and the EU, acquired the support of the European Parliament’s trade committee (INTA) on Tuesday 24 January, advancing one step closer towards ratification of the deal. The recommendation was approved by INTA during a two-day meeting of the committee. The vote passed by a margin of 25 votes to 15, with one abstention, allowing for the transmission of the accord to the full European Parliament plenary. The 751-member legislative body is expected to vote on its entry into force in Strasbourg next month. Non-binding opinions have also been adopted in additional committees in recent months, yielding an affirmative vote from the environment, public health, and food safety (ENVI) committee, but a negative outcome from the committee on employment on social affairs (EMPL), with the latter citing concerns over potential job losses in some sectors. (See Bridges Weekly, 19 January 2017 ) The planned agreement, aimed at boosting trans-Atlantic trade in goods and services and investment flows, has elicited mixed responses since negotiations were concluded. It encountered vocal opposition from the Belgian region of Wallonia before it was ultimately signed in October 2016, specifically with regards...