"Today, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Council Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada (CETA)," the European Commission said in a press release.
The document is yet to be approved by the European parliament. To enter into force, CETA should be ratified by all European Union members.
CETA aims to establish a free trade zone between Canada and the European Union. In 2013, Ottawa and Brussels reached an agreement on key elements of the deal. European critics of CETA claim it would undermine standards and regulations on environmental protection, health and safety and workers` rights.
The agreement was at first blocked by the Belgium’s French-speaking region of Wallonia but on Thursday Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said that the parties had finally managed to reach consensus.
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