The Constitutional Court of Germany Thursday supported a trade deal between the European Union and Canada. The top court in Germany rejected a legal challenge to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. The decision allows EU trade ministers to move forward on a vote next week to approve the agreement. It would also require ratification from national, and some regional parliaments to go fully into force. The emergency ruling followed a hearing this week in which activist groups sought to block the deal. Three German activist groups handed in 125,000 signatures to the court in August in opposition to CETA, which they fear will undermine workers’ rights and worsen standards for consumers, according to Reuters. What’s thought to be a precursor to the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, CETA has also faced opposition from some EU member states. Unlike TTIP, however, CETA is looking more likely to be implemented than TTIP, after negotiations regarding TTIP broke down last week.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.