Belgium 'cannot back EU-Canada trade deal at this stage'
The Belgian government has said it cannot give the necessary backing to the European Union's free trade deal with Canada at this stage - endangering the trans-Atlantic pact.
Belgian prime minister Charles Michel said EU leaders and Canada had "asked us to give a clear answer today".
He said: "The clear answer, at this stage, is no."
It is now open to what extent the EU and Belgium may continue negotiating with the southern Belgian region of Wallonia, which needs to endorse the deal before it can become official.
The deal requires unanimity among the 28 EU nations - with Belgium the only one to lack approval, since it needs the backing of all its regions.
The EU's executive called for patience in an attempt to save a free trade deal and has already dismissed a Monday night deadline as counter-productive.
The EU and Canada want to sign the deal at a summit on Thursday in Brussels, for which Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau was expected to fly in.
But the meeting will be cancelled if Wallonia continues to withhold its approval.
Today, Wallonia president Paul Magnette insisted he would agree to nothing under the threat of an ultimatum.
"Each time they put forward such an ultimatum it make a serene discussion and a democratic debate impossible," Mr Magnette said.
As Thursday's summit draws near, pressure has increased on Wallonia, a region with a population of 3.5 million, to drop its objections over a deal covering over 500 million EU citizens and 35 million Canadians.
The EU Commission, which has negotiated the deal on behalf of the 28 nations, insisted that this week's summit was not the final deadline.
"Now, we need patience," said EU Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas.
"The Commission traditionally does not set deadlines or ultimatums."
Andre Antoine, the head of the Wallonia legislature, said on RTL network that "no, it will not be possible" to back the deal today, arguing there are too many outstanding issues.
Even if Thursday's EU-Canada summit has to be called off, it could always be rescheduled when Wallonia has signed on to the agreement, Ms Schinas indicated.
Over the past week, Belgium missed two deadlines to agree to the deal and Canada briefly walked out of the trade talks before returning the next day.
EU officials said that without guarantees that the EU is ready to finalise the deal, there would be no reason to have a summit on Thursday with Mr Trudeau.
Politicians in Wallonia argue that the proposed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta) would undermine employment, environmental and consumer standards.
"And we do not want private arbitration in which multinationals can attack nations," Mr Magnette said.
Mr Magnette said Wallonia still saw many difficulties and said a better deal would bolster EU standards and set a strong precedent for future trade talks between Europe and trading partners like the United States or Japan.
