Ceta: EU Commission could smuggle past FTAs ​​to parliaments – SPIEGEL ONLINE

The free trade agreement between the EU and Canada (Ceta), which is shortly before the vote, could to information obtained by SPIEGEL, but now to be terminated without the Member States – against the years of insurance by the Federal Government.

So far, the EU countries agreed that Ceta apply a so-called mixed agreement and is to be ratified in each national parliament. But now crumbling unity.

In a letter to the European Commission of the Italian Economy Minister Carlo Calenda has the willingness of Italy declares to propose to the Commission’s side. The advocates Ceta as “EU-only” agreement a, which means that only the European Parliament must agree, but not the individual Member States.

Several states are pushing for rapid application

The paging Italy takes Trade Ministers their sharpest weapon. You can reject a Commission proposal and put their own by ?? – but this can only be done unanimously. Denied Italy to close ranks, the Commission projects remains on the table. Does it get it no qualified majority, there is no decision ?? and no free trade agreement.

However, since most members want the agreements and even pushing eight countries on the fastest possible application, the Commission could look for their chance to enforce the agreement without the participation of regional parliaments.

The already ausverhandelte agreement with Canada would be signed in October. Ceta is considered a blueprint for the TTIP agreement with the US, the encounters, especially in parts of the German and Austrian population with resistance. Whether TTIP is considered a mixed agreement and therefore would require the approval of national parliaments, is still open. Run by Sigmar Gabriel Federal Ministry of Economics had Ceta last expressly rated as mixed agreement

The environmental group Greenpeace called on the government to intervene. “It can not be that an agreement with massive impact on the lives of around one half a billion people in Europe alone, it was decided at these people over, “a spokesman said.

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