EU, Canada to provisionally start free trade deal

Brussels, July 8 (IANS) The European Union (EU) and Canada agreed to set the date of September 21 to start the provisional application of their free trade pact, said an EU statement on Saturday.

The decision came out of a meeting between President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Hamburg, Xinhua news agency cited the statement issued by the Commission.

"It is important that our companies and citizens, the real winners with this agreement, start reaping its benefits without further ado," the statement said, adding that setting a date would allow for all the necessary implementing measures to be taken before the deadline.

The necessary steps were taken to ratify the agreement, both for EU and Canada. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), will enter definitively into force once the Parliaments in all EU member states ratify the text, according the Commission.

The Commission, the bloc's executive arm, signed the landmark accord with Canada in October 2016. It was long-delayed due to continued oppositions by various groups, including environmental activists, trade unionists and socialists.

CETA negotiations were first launched in May 2009 and concluded in 2014