Path clears for Canada- EU trade pact

BRUSSELS — The European Union and Canada are on the cusp of sealing a landmark free trade deal after the Belgian government on Thursday overcame an impasse with its regional authorities, which had been seeking more protections from multinationals.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said he had finally reached a deal with holdout Wallonia, a region of 3.6 million people that had used its power to block the deal between over 500 million EU citizens and 35 million Canadians for several weeks.

The EU needed unanimity among all its 28 members and Belgium needed the backing of all its regions.

“This is good news,” said Michel, adding that the new text of the deal provides guarantees for farmers and on a corporate dispute settlement system that “will allow us to sign the deal.”

The agreement will go through regional legislatures by tonight and has to be vetted again by the other 27 EU states.

“This is a positive development, but there is still work to do,” said Alex Lawrence, a spokesman for the Canadian international trade ministry, of Belgium’s agreement. “Canada remains ready to sign this important agreement when Europe is ready.”

Politicians in Wallonia argued that the proposed accord would have undermined labor, environment and consumer standards.

“I am sorry for all the other Europeans we made wait and for our Canadian partners. But if we took a bit of time, what we achieved here is important, not only for Wallonia but for all Europeans,” Wallonia President Paul Magnette said.