Wallonia is not prepared to oblige to the ‘ultimatum’ from the European Union that expects Belgium to accept the EU’s free trade agreement with Canada (CETA), the head to the French-speaking region Andre Antoine told RTL radio on Monday.
The Belgian government has been given a deadline by EU president Donald Tusk to agree on the massive trade deal by Monday night, AFP reported.
Yesterday, Wallonia’s leader Paul Magnette told local press that an “ultimatum is not compatible with the exercise of democratic rights”.
The EU remains in contact with Belgium and Canada. However, if an agreement is not reached within Belgium by the end of the day, Tusk is prepared to cancel Thursday’s summit where the parties were scheduled to officially sign the free trade deal which would abolish 98% of tariffs between the EU and Canada.
Image: EPA / Julien Warnard
