Deputy Prime Minister of Italy Luigi di di Maio hinted on Thursday in a conversation with reporters in the Parliament that Rome will not ratify the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the European Union and Canada.
Di Maio reiterated the government's stance from July, when the deputy prime minister told Italian farmers that the country's economy must be defended, adding that the move would secure "reclaiming a bit of healthy sovereignty."
CETA was formally signed by Ottawa and Brussels in October 2016, while the European Parliament approved the deal in February 2017, still not coming into force as 10 out of 28 member states ratified the deal. The agreement eliminates 98% of tariffs between Canada and the EU.
