During a meeting in Canada, Gabriel Attal and Justin Trudeau defend Ceta, a “win-win agreement”

If the French Senate voted against the free trade treaty on March 21. It will be examined again in the National Assembly at the end of May.

They defend him tooth and nail. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, supported the Ceta agreement on Thursday April 11 in Ottawa (Canada), which they consider to be “win-win”. The two men expressed confidence in the continued implementation of this agreement called the “Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement” in French.

“Since it was signed, since it came into force, trade between our two countries has increased by more than a third”, declared Gabriel Attal. For its part, Canada will continue to “demonstrate the positive impact on citizens of trade and responsible commerce between friends and allies who share the same values”underlined Justin Trudeau.

“If a country cannot or does not want to have free trade with a progressive, open and responsible country like Canada, with which country would you want to make a free trade agreement?”

Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister

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After its approval by the European Parliament in early 2017, this trade agreement has already been applied provisionally since September of the same year. Ten European states have yet to validate it. However, the French Senate voted against it on March 21, jeopardizing its ratification amid the agricultural crisis. It will be examined again in the National Assembly at the end of May. In addition to agriculture, Ceta includes a section on so-called Canadian minerals “reviews” for the energy transition such as uranium or lithium, prized by Paris. But trade between the EU and Canada has also taken a new turn since the war in Ukraine. Thanks to Ceta, Europe was able to substitute Canadian products for Russian products that it no longer imports.

“Collaborate better” in the event of forest fires

Another major issue put on the table by the French and Canadian heads of government on Thursday: the climate issue and that of forest fires. Justin Trudeau announced the purchase of two Canadian bombers by France and the signing of“an agreement to better collaborate when it comes to dealing with forest fires”. Last year, France sent 350 firefighters to help Canada fight the worst fire season in its history, which ravaged more than 15 million hectares.

On the climate, Gabriel Attal intends to push an initiative from French President Emmanuel Macron, the “Paris pact for people and the planet”, launched in June 2023. It aims to overhaul the global financial system in order to fight both warming and poverty. Canada has not ratified it, but Paris is awaiting a commitment “ambitious” of his partner.