Belgian farmers mobilize against Canada-EU trade deal

Global Business

Belgian farmers mobilize against Canada-EU trade deal

Politicians in Belgium are threatening to block the proposed trade deal between the European Union and Canada known as CETA. The EU expects the deal will be signed later this month at an EU-Canada Summit.

But the deal will still then have to be ratified by all of Europe’s national and regional Parliaments.

CCTV’s Kevin Ozebek reports. Follow Kevin Ozebek on Twitter @KevinOzebek

As Belgian farmer Erwin Schoepges tends to his cows and cattle, his pasture are now at the center of a political fight.

And because of petitions from farmers like Schoepges, the Parliament that governs over these rolling hills has passed a resolution signaling it won’t ratify CETA.

Protests against CETA and other proposed trade deals have overtaken cities like Brussels and Berlin.Thousands in Germany petitioned a court to rule CETA as undemocratic.

That lawsuit has been thrown out. But with much of the European public against CETA, pro-trade activists worry regional Parliaments will crush the deal.

Business groups estimate the increase in trade from CETA will pump in $13 billion into the European economy every year.


Jacob Funk Kirkegaard discusses CETA

To further discuss the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement(CETA), CCTV America’s Rachelle Akuffo spoke with Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, senior fellow at Peterson Institute for International Economics.