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Senate: free trade agreement between the European Union and Canada rejected
Senate: free trade agreement between the European Union and Canada rejected
(franceinfo)
On Thursday March 21, the Senate rejected the free trade agreement between Europe and Canada, CETA. This, applied since 2017, removes most customs duties and could, in the future, put French cattle breeders in difficulty.
Since 2017, CETA, an agreement between Canada and the European Union aimed at reducing customs duties by 98%, has been in force provisionally. But on Thursday March 21, the Senate overwhelmingly rejected its ratification, with 44 votes for and 211 against. This agreement was debated for the first time, at the initiative of the communists. Fabien Gay, PCF senator from Seine-Saint-Denis, denounces “unfair competition” for European farmers.
The Republicans allied with the left in this vote
The ratification was rejected thanks to the votes of the left, but also of the Republicans. The government then undertakes to send the agreement back to the Assembly, which voted for it in 2019. If the Senate and the National Assembly reject CETA, the government can notify it to the European Union. The agreement would then cease to apply.
