Brussels: Belgium’s political leaders adjourned marathon talks late Wednesday without emerging from the impasse that has blocked a landmark EU-Canada trade agreement, Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said.
The decision appeared to dash hopes of an EU-Canada signing summit on Thursday but Reynders said the negotiations will resume at 8am GMT (noon UAE).
He had earlier reported the sides were near a consensus that would allow Belgium to support a trade deal which must be endorsed by all 28 EU member states.
“We are awaiting a definitive response from” the various communities, including holdouts in French-speaking regions like Wallonia, Reynders said as the talks wrapped up for the day.
EU leaders had voiced optimism that Belgium’s federal government could win over the holdouts by late Wednesday.
But Rudy Demotte, president of the southern French-speaking Wallonia’s parliament, had raised a note of caution by saying “we have technical discussions which are complicated.”
He also said it would be “difficult” to maintain the plans for a summit in Brussels on Thursday to sign the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA).
When and if the documents are agreed by the Belgian politicians, they must be sent for review to the ambassadors of all 28 EU member states, then likely return to the Wallon parliament and other Belgian government institutions.
Paul Magnette, the head of the Wallon government, said: “We regret it but it will be impossible to hold the summit tomorrow, although nothing is ever impossible.”
