The Senate will vote on the controversial CETA agreement on Tuesday. The trade deal between the European Union and Canada is applauded by some and criticized by others. What exactly does it say and why does it evoke so much resistance?
CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) contains agreements on trade between the EU and Canada. This includes scrapping import tariffs and allowing European companies to compete in tenders from the Canadian government and vice versa. It also contains provisions on data protection, investments and legal matters.
Many activist groups have demonstrated against the treaty and many parties in the Senate and House of Representatives are also against it. For example, some parties believe that the sovereignty of the Netherlands is undermined by concluding a treaty in the context of the EU.
Treaty would be good for employment
There is also a fear that Canadian products will come onto the Dutch market, which are subject to less strict requirements in terms of the environment and animal welfare. Farmers also fear that they will lose out to their Canadian competitors.
Proponents point out that a good relationship with Canada is important at this time, especially given the Russian war in Ukraine. It would also be good for employment and trade with the North American country has increased since the treaty was provisionally introduced in 2017.
Many parts of CETA are already in force. This is because all 27 EU member states have to approve the treaty one by one and this can take years. The Netherlands is certainly not the last country to take a decision on this. France, Germany and Italy, among others, also have yet to decide. Canada has already agreed.
Cyprus voted against for the time being
One country has voted against for the time being: Cyprus. The Cypriots are concerned, among other things, that halloumi, an important export product for the island state, is not sufficiently protected in the treaty. Since then, this issue has been discussed.
The Dutch Senate almost certainly seems to agree on Tuesday. The cabinet parties are in favor in any case and the opposition party PvdA has also recently announced that it is voting in favour. This means there is a majority in the Senate. Because the House of Representatives already approved it two years ago, the final approval of the treaty is one step closer.
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