CETA: After 3 missed deadlines, why isn't the Canada-EU summit cancelled?

International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland's explanations yesterday seemed to be building toward a logical conclusion: Justin Trudeau isn't getting on a plane to Brussels this week to sign Canada's trade deal with the European Union.

Except she didn't actually say that.

And she didn't say it today, either, when she again spoke to reporters.

Three deadlines for the EUto confirm all member states areready to signhave come and gone over the last week. Why not just state the obvious?

• CETA summit will likely be postponed: top official
• CETA deal on hold as Belgium fails to reach agreement

Back in Ottawa Monday, Freeland looked more composed thanshe appearedlast Friday in Walloniawhenthe decision was made not by her aloneto walk away, signalingenough is enough: Canada is done negotiating the ComprehensiveEconomic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

While it hasn't been made public yet, Canada also hadfinished negotiating an annex to the deal, a joint interpretative declaration that was supposed to clarify everyone's way around remaining roadblocks.

SteveVerheul, the veteran trade bureaucrat who's served as thechief negotiator withEurope under both the Conservatives and Liberals, stood just toFreeland'sright Monday.

His facedidn't revealwhetherCanada is holding a winning hand. But Freeland's voice was firm.

"This was a tough move by Canada, but it was a decision taken carefully," the ministerreadfrom prepared remarks.

"To the Conservatives who've criticized walking away, they know it was the right move."

Freeland: CETA isn't dead yet

8 years ago

Duration 0:58

International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland says that CETA isn't dead yet, but that the ball is now in the Europeans' court.

Freelandfaced criticism forsaying shewas sad and emotional asshe walked away from talks with Wallonia. She also talkedabout wanting to see her kids.

ConservativesslammedFreeland as a player givingup at the 10-yard line disregardingthe tenaciouscharm-offensive she'd waged across Europe for months.

They ignored the Liberal rebuttal the deal wasstalled when they took officebecause the Stephen Harper's government wasn'topen torenegotiation.

Conservative trade critic Gerry Ritz said the ministerneeded "adult supervision." Freeland is having none of that.

Freeland has "wrinkles and grey hairs to prove" she's an adult

8 years ago

Duration 1:11

International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland responds to attacks from Conservative MP Gerry Ritz who said she needs adult supervision to get the CETA deal done.

If Trudeaureplaced Freeland and went over without a deal in hand,wouldn't that seem desperate?

His interventions, alternately warningthe EUwhile stayingoptimistic about CETA's chances, have beenlobbed from back in Canada.

Phoney deadlines fail

The ball is in Europe's court, Freelandsaid Tuesday. It's a now-familiar line.

The head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, asked her to be part of last week's arm-twisting, feeling Walloons shouldhear directly from Canada.

But Canada was contradicting itself, saying things wereEurope's to fix, while directlyengaged withWallonia.

Until Freelandwalked, it gave the impression something could change.

Chrystia Freeland emotional after Canada-EU trade deal talks collapse

8 years ago

Duration 1:33

International Trade Minister has walked out of free trade negotiations with the European Union. "I worked very hard. But I think it's impossible."

Meanwhile, EU trade watchers mockthe setting of phoney deadlines for approving signature.

That strategywas not Canada's Trudeau'sgovernment wasn't apt to speakpubliclyaboutthe Oct. 27 summit plans.

As Tuesday's meeting of trade ministers, then Friday's talks between heads of state, and finally Monday's talks between Belgium's regionalgovernments all failed to find consensus, the EU did what it does: it kepttalking, rather than face a humiliation of the European Commission's trade ambitions.

Nobody likes the word ultimatum.

Freeland's EU counterpart, Cecilia Malmstrom, said over a week ago that the only real deadline would be the point at which Trudeau needed to be on a plane. How prescient that now seems.

More patience needed

Nothing is lost no trade agreement is dead while talk continues.

Thatexplains why the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, responded to Freeland's exit last Friday by proposing last-minute talks between the Canadian minister and Walloon President Paul Magnette.

But he wasn'tin a position to renegotiate anything.

Schulz, the equivalent of a Speaker, is aGerman social democrat.

His party searched its political soul over CETA, supporting it only aftersecuring an earlier rewrite ofthe investor-state dispute settlement clauses and more recentclarifications oncontroversial measures.

• Why trade deals like CETA have become a 'whipping boy' for anti-globalization forces

He'spivotal tothe deal's next step, assuming it comes: guiding CETA through areview-and-ratification vote by members of the European Parliament.

Should he succeed in herding amajority of those unpredictable cats, it could boost his personal ambition to run against Angela Merkel for German chancellor next year.

But his conversations with Freeland and Magnette last Saturday justneeded tochangeheadlines from "talkscollapse" to "hope remains."

Schulz has told a German interviewer that the summit may need to be postponed. Washe pre-positioning?

Canada can be proud of CETA says Pettigrew

8 years ago

Duration 8:26

Canada's CETA envoy, Pierre Pettigrew, discusses the stalled Canada-EU trade deal.

Will Wallonia come around?

Canadians, from Freeland on down, insistthings are still moving forward.

By some reports, Magnette'sbrinkmanship hasgone from setting nine conditions, to four. A declaration unique to Wallonia's concerns might emerge. Areport Tuesday evening said only one issue now remains.

ThislatestBelgian compromise may have required education, not renegotiation.

A Walloon weighs in on CETA

8 years ago

Duration 8:08

Juliette Boulet, a Wallonian activist and Greenpeace spokesperson, discusses her opposition to the Canada-EU trade deal

For example, Walloons wantdomestic courts toresolve investor disputes. But existing text may already provide that option.

Walloons are sensitive to the charge that they waited until the last minute to put this spanner in the works. Magnette told French newspaper Liberation that the region voiced objections over a year ago, but the EU only started to listen this month.

An anti-CETA vote last April previewed this de facto veto, but those tasked with assuaging Wallonia French socialists and Freeland's parliamentary secretary David Lametti among them seem to have misjudged that it wouldn't get to this point.

'I want an agreement'

Magnette'sdetermination to beheard won praise fromcivil society groups and unions, including the Council of Canadians, who'veorganized protests and counter-lobbying for months.

Those campaigners may yet be disappointed.

Global trade critics

8 years ago

Duration 2:58

After a steady march toward globalization, trade deals like NAFTA, CETA and TPP are under fire

"I am not a herald of the global justice movement.I want an agreement," Magnette told Liberation.

If he ultimatelyfeels that way, whywait?

That's why Freeland's statement and Trudeau's officialconversation with European President Donald Tusk didn't conclude bypostponing histrip to Brussels.

Bags remain packed. The Belgians are still talking.