European governments today failed to sign off the EU-Canada trade deal known as CETA. Campaign group Global Justice Now welcomed the defeat of CETA deal, which they claim will lead to an increase in the power of big business over our food standards, public services and decision-making. They called on the EU to stop the negotiations of CETA.
The Comprehensive Economic & Trade Agreement (CETA) has generated protests throughout Europe and Canada, along with its better-known sister deal TTIP. In recent weeks hundreds of thousands of Europeans have taken part in protests against CETA, and several governments claimed that would oppose CETA without changes.
Guy Taylor, trade campaigner at Global Justice Now, said:
“The serious setback of CETA in the EU council today is a testament to the strength of opposition to CETA and the US deal TTIP, which has galvanised millions of people to take action over the last 3 years. No wonder, given that CETA is the opposite of what Europe needs. We need more democracy, not liberalisation and deregulation.”
“Never before in history has a trade deal experiences such difficulties in the EU council. Today CETA suffered a massive body blow and is now in perilous danger of joining TTIP on the scrapheap of failed corporate power grabs. But the deal isn’t dead yet and we will be stepping up the campaign to protect our public services, our environment and our democracy from this toxic deal.
“It’s a scandal that the British government in today’s meeting supported CETA and the application of most of CETA before it’s even been through Westminster. it’s urgent we develop a more democratic method of passing trade agreements in Britain, if we aren’t to see dozens more of these toxic deals go through ‘on the nod’ after Brexit.
