RR Phantom
Location : Wasted Space Job/hobbies : Cayman Islands Actuary
| Subject: OZschwitz EU free trade agreement at risk after Canada deal falls through Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:03 pm | |
| Trade Minister Steven Ciobo says Australia will forge ahead on a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with Europe, despite the embarrassing collapse of the EU's trade deal with Canada.
However he said Australia may have to settle for a smaller deal that can be signed by the EU Commission alone, rather than a broader FTA that must be ratified by parliaments across the Union.
Landmark European Union-Canada trade deal has been blocked after regional authorities in Belgium refuse to allow the country to support it.
Mr Ciobo, who is in Europe meeting the region's other trade ministers, said he was still "optimistic" about an Australia-EU deal, despite European Council president Donald Tusk saying that if the Canada agreement fell through it "could be our last free trade agreement".
The Canada FTA, known by the acronym CETA, has been all but vetoed by the regional government of Wallonia in south Belgium.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australias-eu-free-trade-agreement-at-risk-after-canada-deal-falls-through-20161024-gs9o6f.html |
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