Led to make a decision on the controversial CETA, the European Parliament has largely voted for the free trade agreement between the EU and Canada this February 15, 2017. Despite strong opposition from the organized civil society, MEPs adopted the text by 408 votes for and 254 votes against.

The final adoption of the Treaty is however awaiting the vote of the 38 national and regional parliaments of the European Union.

CETA entered into provisional application on October 30, 2016, but must go through several stages before being ratified. An initial obstacle to its definitive adoption was overcome on 15 February, following a favourable vote by the European Parliament. A vote without suspense since the majority of the MEPs of the main groups making up the Parliament supported the text. While conservatives and liberals voted overwhelmingly in favour of the free trade agreement, the European Social Democrats voiced deep divisions in their vote. The Environmentalists and the United Left rejected the text unanimously, as many eurosceptic parliamentarians.

The full implementation of the transatlantic treaty remains, however, suspended by the vote of the 38 national and regional parliaments of the EU. In October 2016, the regional parliament of Wallonia, led by its charismatic President Paul Magnette, stood out by opposing the treaty, thus delaying the signing of the provisional agreement between the Council of the European Union and Canada. There is no certainty that the concessions obtained by Walloon parliamentarians at the end of this clash will guarantee a future favourable vote.

The favourable vote of the European Parliament did not in any way hinder the determination of the opponents of the text. In the Netherlands, a large citizen movement supported by environmental organizations is trying to get a referendum on this issue. In Austria, a petition against transatlantic treaties with more than 500,000 signatures forced the national parliament to debate the possibility of holding a popular consultation.

Yannick Jadot, MEP for the environment

A final legal obstacle arises to the final adoption of CETA. The environmentalist MEP Yannick Jadot counts with several of his colleagues to lodge an appeal before the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Environmentalist parliamentarians intend to denounce the validity of arbitration tribunals – one of the treaty’s flagship measures. If the ECJ invalidates this aspect of the agreement, it will be one of the most essential parts of CETA that will be invalidated.