02:11Germany: VC Gabriel touts CETA trade deal with Canada
German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel held a joint press conference with Canadian Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland following their meeting in Berlin, Thursday. Refugee crisis, bilateral relations as well as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) topped agenda of the meeting.
Commenting on the CETA agreement, Gabriel said that if the US and the EU "would be able to ratify this agreement swiftly, this would actually create the gold standard for the negotiations with the US because it would send a message to the US that they cannot go beyond this standard. So this would be the benchmark in the negotiation process with US." "I could not imagine voting for any TTIP agreement [Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership] which would not have at least the same standards as the one with Canada", he explained.
The CETA free-trade agreement between Canada and the European Union awaits approval by the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament. Many activists across Europe oppose the CETA as well as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) which are aimed at creating free-trade zones between North America and the European Union. The main concerns of the opponents include possible deteriorating standards over environmental protection, health, food and electronics.
02:11German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel held a joint press conference with Canadian Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland following their meeting in Berlin, Thursday. Refugee crisis, bilateral relations as well as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) topped agenda of the meeting.
Commenting on the CETA agreement, Gabriel said that if the US and the EU "would be able to ratify this agreement swiftly, this would actually create the gold standard for the negotiations with the US because it would send a message to the US that they cannot go beyond this standard. So this would be the benchmark in the negotiation process with US." "I could not imagine voting for any TTIP agreement [Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership] which would not have at least the same standards as the one with Canada", he explained.
The CETA free-trade agreement between Canada and the European Union awaits approval by the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament. Many activists across Europe oppose the CETA as well as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) which are aimed at creating free-trade zones between North America and the European Union. The main concerns of the opponents include possible deteriorating standards over environmental protection, health, food and electronics.