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AFTER A LOT of indecision and tension, the EU has approved a free-trade deal with Canada late yesterday, ending a stand-off between the two regions and a small area of Belgium called Wallonia.
Wallonia had refused to agree to the deal earlier in the week – causing tensions between Canada and the EU (Canadian trade minister says it’s up to Europe to save trade agreement).
However the region changed its mind after intense negotiations – although it’s not quite clear who gave into who – and the deal is set to be ratified at a ceremony tomorrow.
“Mission accomplished!” European Union president Donald Tusk tweeted, announcing that the deal would be signed at a summit in Brussels on Sunday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The Canadian premier wrote back on Twitter: “Great news and I’m looking forward to being there.”
In a phone call with Tusk, he hailed the deal as “a good sign in an uncertain world”, an EU source said.
Trudeau also tweeted applause for Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s trade minister, thanking her for her “skill and dedication in negotiating a deal to grow Canada’s middle class and strengthen our economy”.
Wallonia “did not change a comma”
Belgium became a lightning rod for warnings that the EU’s international standing, hit by a migration crisis as well as the Brexit vote, would suffer further if seven years of trade negotiations were to go to waste.
After hitting deadlock in talks with Walloon leaders last week, an emotional Freeland dismissed Brussels as “incapable” of achieving an international agreement.
Paul Magnette, head of the southern French-speaking Wallonia, had fought for the region’s farming interests and guarantees against international investors forcing governments to change laws against the wishes of the people.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel held marathon talks in a bid to win the holdout regions over, finally announcing Thursday that the two sides had reached a deal.
While Michel has said the fraught talks with Wallonia “did not change a comma” in the deal, Magnette says he walked away with assurances from the federal government of strengthened social and environmental protection.
“CETA amended, CETA corrected – that is fairer than the former CETA and offers more guarantees,” Magnette said.
The EU was cleared to sign the pact shortly after Wallonia’s parliament voted to approve the deal, along with that of the Brussels-Capital region and the Federation Wallonia-Brussels.
Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
Officially known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, the deal removes 99% of customs duties between the two sides, linking the single EU market of 500 million people with the world’s 10th largest economy.
Tomorrow’s signing summit will begin at 0930 GMT, with the signing due at 1100 GMT, Tusk’s spokesman Preben Aamann said on Twitter.
Last week, the most ambitious ever negotiated by the EU had been hanging by a thread due to protests from Belgium’s Wallonia region and other French-speaking communities over its potential damage to local interests.
The trade agreement requires all 28 EU member states to endorse it and in some cases – as in Belgium – regional governments also have to give their approval, meaning Wallonia and the other holdouts were effectively blocking the deal.
Trudeau had been due to arrive in Brussels on Thursday to sign the deal but that had to be called off, with leaders including Tusk warning that the debacle was further damaging EU credibility following Britain’s shock vote to leave the bloc.
Both Supervalu and Tesco have attempted to block a new development in enfield which contains a hotel, nursing home, much needed homes, resuarant/bar and of course a new retail unit. Plenty of business to go round in fairness and it would be a much needed investment in the town. Fingers crossed An Bord Pleanála see sense and approve it.
Every Lidl helps
@Fred: in a survey of plastic and packaging use, lidl and aldi were the worst they used more plastic packaging than any other supermarkets. Tesco were actually one of the best in that it was possible to buy a lot more produce loose without plastic packaging. Also Tesco would facilitate consumers returning plastic packaging to the store, lidl and aldi refused.
@john bennett: bs
@john bennett: so
@john bennett: rubbish. I leave my plastic behind when doing my shopping. No one has ever told me I cant
@john bennett: and what’s that got to do with Tesco abusing the planning system, which I’m assuming is also costing the taxpayer?
@john bennett: this is about losing profits the cartels like tesco,supervalue,dunnes not about plastics.when lidl and aldi came to Ireland it showed how much we were actually being ripped off for.
@john bennett: BS, I always see people removing packaging in aldi before putting the shopping in their bags. They have plenty of bins provided too. And half the price of Tesco to boot.
A sad sad reflection on Tesco and a completely disingenuous response from them. It’s obvious to everyone what they’re playing at!
@Kerrydone: Indeed. The figures support the claims made by Lidl and Aldi, Tesco in particular are misusing and abusing the planning system to twart any attempt by what the see as rivals getting planning permission.
At the same time Lidl and Aldi are doing things by the book we’ve seen a number of other well known coffee shops and retailers totally avoiding the planning system, and getting away with it.
As an aside a few family members volunteer in a local organisation, a few years ago they approached local businesses asking for whatever donations they could give. Tesco couldn’t be bothered, all applications had to be made in writing to their head office, Lidl and Aldi literally brought people to tears as they donated pallet loads and delivered it too. Can’t praise them and their staff highly enough.
@Arch Angel: from what I heard is lidl & Aldi care about thier staff and the community’s they are based in
Boycott Tesco
@Seanniemac1983: and not supervalu?
I like lidl and aldi: Tools and Rents with a guarantee etc Some stuff is the same brand as dunnes but cheaper, some just as good but cheaper. But here in Germany you can go even more ‘down market’ to Netto or Penny, smaller stores than Lidl and aldi but often the same stuff again and still cheaper.
Obviously cost of delivery etc to be considered but even aldi and Lidl are riding us, let alone dunnes and supervalue.
@Chris Linehan: what about non union badly paid staff
@Chris Linehan: just because the staff are non union does not mean they are badly paid. Aldi and Lidl staff are higher paid than the equivalent staff in the traditional retailers.
@trebloc01: what are you on about? Well paid staff
@trebloc01: for real? Dunnes has the worse track record for treatment of staff…
@Chris Linehan: when Lidl arrived first Irish people didn’t like their approach. Very from compared to the usual. They invested in fancy in house baking, gourmet foods and even put products on shelves. In Germany Lidl pallets are left on the floor and you like it or lump it.
Irish people think they like a bargain but they’re simply not as thrifty as ze Germans
@Goban Saor: *very grim compared to usual
@trebloc01:
As far as I’m aware Lidl and Aldi pay the living wage, unlike the other retailers.
@Goban Saor: I did a bit of work in Tesco a few years ago & most of the staff i spoke to were on zero hours contracts & Tesco pay thier staff less than most other retailers
@Patrick Nolan: my mate works for M&S & he gets paid a living wage has really good benefits. He couldn’t be happier
@LIAMO B:
Good for him/ them but with respect, the M&S share of the Irish grocery market is very small
Whatever about Tesco , Musgraves/SuperValu would want to be careful in case Lidl start returning the favour…They could bury small family run franchises if they decided to….
Dirty tricks from the supermarket cartel, who’ve been gouging Irish shoppers for decades.
Not surprised that stupid valu are against a company giving a little more value to people as they are the most expensive supermarket in the Country. Shame on them and the old codgers that shop with them just because they are alligned with the old fella that sold out to the company and rely on the loyalty to the former name that was above that same shop thirty or forty years ago.
The Brits are at war with the Germans again.
@Pascal Coleman:
Objecting ……. shure they’re more Irish than the Irish themselves so!
Just sue them for obstruction and loss of income
@Moorooka Mick:
Difficult if you do not have an established trade pattern to benchmark alleged loss.
Dunnes Stores is hoarding a prime city centre location in Limerick for years, allowing it to fall into dereliction.
It needs to be CPOed from Dunnes for a reasonablle price – in this instance 1 euro.
@mursim:
The state certainly could CPO it but they would have to pay full market price. (Constitution)
Tesco need to be investigated they did this for the lidl in Cabra they tried every dirty tactic even though they have a store on Prussia Street and another superstore 5 mins up on the navan road. They’re a law unto themselves anti competition because they’ve had the Irish consumer over a barrel for decades.
Dunnes Stores is hoarding a prime city centre location in Limerick for years, allowing it to fall into dereliction.
It needs to be CPOed from Dunnes for a reasonablle price – in this instance 1 euro.
Different to Aldi being blocked by the major supermarkets in Monaghan
Stupid carry on by competitors they need to get over it. Stop fleecing people while they are at it
@James O’Brien: fleecing? It’s probably the cheapest time ever to shop.
Lidl and Aldi worst supermarket for the environment. Almost no recycling plastic used.
@Bob Dalchan: they are also the first to commit to eliminating single use plastics within a couple of years
@Bob Dalchan: What has that to do with misuse of planning laws ?
@James Wallace: Have they? Brilliant. Good to hear.
Future planning in the future…
He he all the big names have been doing this for years to block competition from Aldi and Lidl. Its no secret for Gods Sake. RGData are representing their members but need to be careful as a lot of the Supervalues are in small towns so what goes around comes around.
It might help if Lidl read the Local Area Plans before putting in the application.
They proposed a store in Douglas on a site that was marked for mixed use on a street that was marked for traffic reduction and public transport priority.
They’ve now come back with a plan that is at least mixed use, but will still funnel hundreds of extra cars through the centre of an already congested area.
They did this in our place also – it stood out in the objections as there isn’t a Tesco for miles around – don’t know why they would be so interested if it fitted the local environment or not.
Vexatious complaints seem to be the norm now. Our family has been subjected to this from a couple of people not in any way affected, but did it because they could.
I heard somewhere that Irish or other foreign retailers would find it almost impossible to break into the German retail market.
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