EU-Canada trade deal on rocks AGAIN as Holland demands its own referendum on CETA
THE European Union’s (EU) troubled CETA trade deal with Canada is facing collapse AGAIN as activists in Holland try to force through a referendum.
Thousands march against CETA and TTIP in Amsterdam
Dutch campaigners have gathered almost two thirds of the signatures needed to lay the groundwork for a referendum on Europe's free trade deal with Canada, which they say overly favours the interests of multinational companies.
Bungling EU bosses celebrated last month after signing the deal following seven years of tense talks but admitted the full agreement is years off.
Nearly 40 regional and national parliaments are yet to green light the deal and Dutch campaigners could sink the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
The EU-Canada CETA deal is facing collapse again
TTIP and CETA are old-school trade agreements where the interests of companies are more important than the people who live in those countries
Almost 200,000 supporters have pledged to petition for a referendum on the deal in the Netherlands, with just 300,000 needed to trigger parliamentary action.
If voters reject the bill and turnout tops 30 per cent, the future of the CETA deal hangs in the balance.
The Dutch government would need the consent of parliament to proceed, possibly by offering concessions or amendments to reflect the will of the people.
Protestors try to storm Euro Council during CETA summit
The CETA agreement has been seen as the EU’s most ambitious trade deal to date and is designed to remove regulations on trade across the Atlantic, making exports easier and cheaper.
If fully approved it will give Canadian businesses the power to sue governments should any new laws affect their profits.
The deal, which has taken seven years of talks to finalise, has already been held to ransom by the Belgian region of Wallonia and CETA has been blighted by delays and controversy with growing public opposition.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker
Nearly 40 regional and national parliaments are yet to green light the deal
The Dutch have twice voted down EU initiatives in referendums, scuppering a proposed EU constitution in 2005 and in April throwing into disarray plans for closer EU relations with Ukraine.
Activists have criticised CETA and TTIP – the planned EU-US equivalent - for lacking transparency and giving undue influence to closed arbitration tribunals they say could be abused by multinationals to dictate public policy.
Niesco Dubbelboer, one of the leaders behind the referendum initiative, said: "TTIP and CETA are old-school trade agreements where the interests of companies are more important than the people who live in those countries.”
Campaigners protest against CETA outside the European Parliament in Brussels
Arjen Nijeboer, a campaign organiser at More Democracy, said: “It is fundamentally about democracy not the EU. The EU has big problems in terms of democracy and it should be reformed. We are confident we will get the referendum.
“We are especially worried about the special arbitration courts. They give special access to the law for corporations that other people, citizens, don’t have.
“It means we must accept Canadian regulations in Europe and give up sovereignty over our own standards. Regulatory co-operation means there will be new transatlantic entities that have the power to expand CETA with very little interference from parliaments.”
Supporters of TTIP and CETA say they will spur economic growth, raise standards of living and will boost the EU economy by £10billion a year and create jobs.
The petition can only be launched once parliament has ratified the deal, something that is not expected before parliamentary elections due in March.
A defeat of CETA in the Netherlands could throw the EU into chaos as doubts grow over the ability of the bloc to negotiate trade deals on behalf of member states.
EU deals with foreign countries need the unanimous support of its 28 member states.