Parts of the free trade agreement with Canada have been in use since September 2017 – but only in those areas for which the EU is undoubtedly solely responsible.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin, Brussels In the debate about the Ceta free trade agreement between the EU and Canada, the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and the EU Commission have agreed on a clarification. The protective provisions for investors should be described more clearly, both announced on Monday.
The aim is to rule out any abuse of the CETA agreement with legal certainty. One of the criticisms of Ceta is that it unilaterally protects corporate interests to the detriment of the climate, environment and social issues.
Specifically, the terms “indirect expropriation” and “fair and equitable treatment” of investors have now been defined more precisely, the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced. “The main aim here is to ensure that necessary measures in the context of climate, energy or health policy are not undermined by investors or lead to claims for damages,” it said.
Ceta has been in force provisionally since 2017. In order to fully implement the agreement, however, the national parliaments must ratify it. The grand coalition and initially the SPD, Greens and FDP failed because of this. In particular, the Greens blocked themselves. An agreement between the parliamentary groups then provided for the controversial points on investment protection to be restricted by additional declarations to such an extent that the Greens could also go along with them.
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Informal talks between the Federal Ministry of Economics and the EU Commission have been going on for a few weeks so that the traffic light can actually implement its specific wishes. The aim was to develop a joint proposal for the declarations.
In a next step, they want to promote that the other EU member states support the new declarations, it said. After that, the EU Commission will consult the Canadian partners.
Ceta: SPD expects ratification soon
The new definitions that have now been agreed are “nothing revolutionary,” says the chairman of the trade committee in the European Parliament, Bernd Lange (SPD), the Handelsblatt. “Basically, the spirit of the Ceta Treaty is being rewritten.”
The MEP welcomed the agreement and said that nothing would stand in the way of ratification in the Bundestag this year. “It’s going to be very quick now,” he said. He no longer sees any resistance in the other member states either.
The parliamentary state secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics, Franziska Brantner (Greens), emphasized that Germany wanted to ratify Ceta. “It is important, however, that it is made clear within the framework of the existing agreement that the common goal of climate protection is made possible and abusive applications in the area of investment protection are prevented.”
The Union’s economic policy spokeswoman, Julia Klöckner, spoke of a “sedative pill” for the Greens. “The EU Commission’s approval of the Federal Government’s interpretation is possible because not only does it not change anything substantially, but nothing at all in the contract that has been in existence for a long time,” said the CDU politician. Ceta could have been ratified long ago.
Parts of the free trade agreement with Canada have been in use since September 2017 – but only in those areas for which the EU is undoubtedly solely responsible and not its member states.
Full entry into force is only possible once all member states have ratified the agreement. So far, 16 states have agreed. The federal government had agreed to work towards the clarifications before ratification.
With agency material.
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