This is Why It is 'Impossible' to Sign EU-Canada CETA Deal on Thursday

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The European Union and Canada will not be able to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) at the summit this Thursday, as was originally planned, since the Parliament of the French Community of Belgium needs more time to elaborate a position on the issue, Rudy Demotte, the Minister-President of the French Community of Belgium, said Wednesday.

"The decision to grant the power [to Belgium to sign the deal] will not be taken today, and will definitely not be taken without the [regional] parliament working out a definite opinion on that. In these conditions, holding the EU-Canada summit this Thursday is clearly impossible," Demotte said as quoted by the Belgian Le Soir newspaper.

On Thursday, the 28-nation bloc and Ottawa are expected to sign CETA at the joint EU-Canada Summit. However, on Monday, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said the nation was "not in a position to sign CETA" amid concerns that the Walloon government, the Brussels government, the government of Federation Wallonia-Brussels and the French Community Commission had about the deal. Under the Belgian federal laws, every region has a right to reject the agreement.

CETA aims to establish a free trade zone between Canada and the 28-nation bloc, eliminating the vast majority of the existing tariffs between the two sides. Opponents fear it would undermine standards and regulations on environmental protection, health, safety and workers' rights.