The federal government and the EU Commission have paved the way for the controversial trade agreement with Canada to soon come into full force. On Monday, the Brussels authorities and the Federal Ministry of Economics announced that they were planning a Additional declaration agreed to have, which clarifies sensitive points in the interest of Berlin. This is a prerequisite for the federal government to ratify the agreement, which is abbreviated to Ceta. The treaty, which abolishes customs duties and simplifies transactions, has been in effect since 2017, but only provisionally and incompletely because eleven EU countries, including Germany, have so far refused to ratify it.
In Brussels it is expected that after Berlin’s change of direction, the other ten governments will follow suit. The supplementary declaration is a guide to interpreting the contract. It is intended to prevent investors from suing for damages in the controversial arbitration courts provided for by CETA if governments reduce the business prospects of companies with climate and environmental protection laws or health policy. Specifically, the terms “indirect expropriation” and “fair and equitable treatment” are defined more precisely. Opponents of Ceta fear the arbitration tribunals would give corporations too much power and weaken parliaments. The clarification was a condition for the Greens in the traffic light coalition to agree to the ratification.
The next step is for the other EU governments to give their place on the supplementary declaration. The EU Commission can then submit this interpretation aid to the Canadian government. The so-called Joint Ceta Committee, a steering body for the implementation of the treaty, must accept the declaration.