Thousands expected in Brussels to protest against free trade deals
NAN-F-12
Protest
Brussels, Sept. 20, 2016 (dpa/NAN) Thousands of people are expected in Brussels on Tuesday to demonstrate against free trade deals the European Union is pursuing with Canada and the U.S.
The protest will occur three days before EU trade ministers are due to discuss the way forward on the two agreements.
The agreements are facing a groundswell of public opposition amid fears that they will benefit large corporations at the expense of consumers and local employees.
Organisers expect between 10,000 and 15,000 people to attend their “Stop TTIP & CETA Day” in Brussels, the report said.
The demonstration is scheduled to start in the neighbourhood housing the EU institutions at 5 pm (1500 GMT) and is expected to impede rush-hour traffic.
The agreement with Canada, known as CETA, has already been negotiated and is supposed to be signed in October.
It would eliminate 98 per cent of tariffs, allowing the free flow of goods between Canada and EU member states.
CETA has been swept up in the mounting opposition facing a larger agreement that is being negotiated with the U.S., known as TTIP.
It would create the world’s largest free trade area, covering around 800 million people.
Negotiations on the deal, which began over three years ago, are facing political headwinds.
Top French politicians spoke out against the agreement last month, leading critics to declare it dead.
However, a new round of TTIP talks has been scheduled for between Oct. 3 and Oct. 7 in New York.
“Even if the negotiations are on the skids, they are still continuing,” Michel Cermak, one of the organisers of the Brussels demonstration said. (dpa/NAN)
Edited by Damilola Oyewole and Abdullahi Yusuf