The Greek government on Friday expressed reservations over the ratification process for the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), with the relevant Greek minister outlining Athens’ positions during an EU council of foreign affairs meeting on trade issues in Brussels.
Greek Economy Minister Giorgos Stathakis said the leftist Greek government believes the agreement should be ratified by national Parliaments.
No decision was taken at Friday’s meeting and was postponed for the next session of the same council meeting.
The Greek side also expressed displeasure over the manner in which negotiations were concluded, pointing to a lack of protection for geographic indicators, which would deonote eponymous agricultural products, for instance. He also called for continued dialogue to find a mutually acceptable solution.
Regarding talks for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), Stathakis said there can be no real breakthrough in negotiations if the agreement does not specifically ensure high European standards for consumer protection, food safety, health, environmental protection, workplace rights and protection of personal data. He said any agreement should foresee that member-states enjoy the right to increase protection in such sectors without having to seek approval by the EU or other transnational bodies.
