It’s now official.
The European Union (EU) parliament has approved a free-trade deal with Canada.
MEPs gave the Comprehensive Economic & Trade Agreement (CETA) their thumbs up by a vote of 408-254, with 33 abstentions.
The three-hour debate in Strasbourg, France followed many years of negotiations to get it signed.
The new agreement is designed to unite the markets of 35-million Canadians and about 500-million Europeans.
The Canadian parliament is set to follow suit in the coming months.
The EU parliament has approved the free-trade deal with Canada. (Photo/http://europarliament.touteleurope.eu)
The approval comes a day before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to visit Europe to push the merits of free-trade against increasingly hostile opposition to such global deals, particularly from the United States.
When he got sworn in, President Donald Trump signed an executive order, pulling out of the 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership.
Trudeau will become the first Canadian leader to address the European Parliament on Thursday.
His international trade minister, Francois-Philippe Champagne, was already in Strasbourg ahead of the EU vote.
– Posted by BET
