The comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA) is the free trade agreement between Canada and the European Union. The negotiations started in 2009 and were completed in summer 2014. The treaty was drawn up at the EU-Canada Summit in Ottawa on September 26, 2014 and approved by the European Parliament in Strasbourg on February 15, 2017.
The treaty was signed on October 30, 2016, but Wallonia and Brussels refused to accept it. Eventually the contested procedure was provisionally withdrawn from the agreement. By that time, Flanders allready approved the treaty (September 16, 2016). After the approval of the European Parliament, the agreement will enter into force although all national and regional parliaments of the EU Member States will have to ratify the agreement formally. It is expected this will take several years.
On September 28, 2016 an information meeting about the FTA EU-Canada (CETA) and the Flemish priorities was organized by the Flanders Department of Foreign Affairs and Vleva.
For more information:
Government of Flanders provides full powers to sign CETA by Kevin Verbelen (Policy officer International Trade and Business)
CETA: new standard for trade negociations? by Kevin Verbelen (Policy officer International Trade and Business)