CETA: sharing values, shaping growth

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the EU (CETA) got the green light today from the Members of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee who gave their consent to the ratification of CETA.

Artis Pabriks, the MEP responsible for steering CETA through the Parliament, welcomed the results of the vote and called for the speedy ratification of CETA. He thinks we need to be able to harness CETA to its full advantage as soon as possible: “During the years of CETA negotiations, we have met all the concerns of our citizens from high standards for food quality, consumer protection, state sovereignty, to public services and many other issues. This was possible because Europeans and Canadians share the same values and mutual trust. The sooner we ratify it, the sooner our consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises and investors will benefit from it”, Pabriks said.

The EPP Group Spokesman in the Trade Committee, Daniel Caspary MEP, called on all political groups to take responsibility for the welfare of EU citizens : "The logic of CETA is as simple as it is convincing: more trade means more growth, more and better jobs and higher salaries. The sooner Europeans profit from it, the better! Everyone has understood this at this stage except the trade-hostile groups in Parliament, who held CETA hostage for months without any factual reason”, he highlighted.

Caspary stressed that today's approval of CETA in the Trade Committee sends out a clear signal to our partners worldwide: “Europe believes in free trade. We, the EPP Group, have been the only major political force in Parliament which has always supported CETA. We want to shape globalisation and it is time for the chronically-resilient Greens, the Left and some Social Democrats to wake up to reality: globalisation won’t go away if you close your eyes and deny its existence! I sincerely hope that they wake up before the plenary vote", he added.

There is no better time than now to advance with a genuine European trade agenda, pointed out Artis Pabriks : “When we see that important world partners are leaning towards protectionism, as Europeans we should take advantage and still prove that we are open-minded and globally minded. If we can’t trade with Canadians, then with whom can we trade? The world is watching us.”